Moonlight Memories
by SendoErika
Summary: They are an unlikely duo, their paths were not suppose to cross. But when he finds her instead of what he had expected, time because a treasure he doesn't want to let go. A path of thorns and roses, they agreed to hold each other's hand right from the beginning. Now...will he realise, that the smile she flashes is always one so full of sadness?
1. Chapter 1

**Greetings my guests, welcome to my humble dimension. I hope you are prepared for a journey following our two protagonists through a memory long since forgotten. They are quite an unlikely duo, perhaps not the two you would normally associate together, but bare with me while I act as your guide through this fantasy. Just a note that this is my first time unraveling their story as well, so do kindly ignore the possible mistakes I make OwO/**

 **Without further ado, let us flow through this memory~**

 ** _Moonlight Memories_**

Chapter 1: ****

He still hadn't got used to it.

It, or rather her, after such a long time. As time ticked by its usual pace, he couldn't help but feel even more uncertain than ever before.

He was sitting in the backyard of the Castle of Abbadon, tending to the Garden of Haures while trying, without much effort, to not sink his sharp, dark blue claws into the thin stems. He sighed, it was pointless. Besides, the flowers grew in every way perfect whenever he summoned them onto the battlefield. Yes, he admits that this is all to serve as a distraction.

Ever since he became Demonio, the entity of death and the lord of darkness, he endured endless days of pain. Day and night had passed by like a blur as he had no mind to care for anything else but to restrain the overflowing power coursing through his veins. When it all became too much, he completely transcended into darkness. The feared asmodian demon that annihilated everything in its path, he had earned a title he did too well to maintain.

But, it all changed.

Changed completely, when she appeared.

He still remembered when he walked downstairs one morning, only to not see Diabla, but someone else in her usual chair. He had stood quite rigid in the door frame, just staring at the figure who gracefully brought the teacup up to her supple lips and took a sip while brushing a speck of dust off her exquisite white and blue dress. When she looked up at him, the stars in her eyes, the ones that were once pure darkness, were purified and gentle. A dazzling light, completely pure settled on his dark form.

Then she smiled. And he felt something revive within his very soul.

Noblesse, as the new Lu calls herself, had explained casually that she in fact did not know why she was here in place of his usual master, but would still gladly maintain the bond between them until they found the reason to this sudden surprise. Nodding obediently, no expression crossed his features throughout the whole conversation. What he had failed to realise was the almost apologetical gaze she would occasionally direct to him, and the casual pauses in between sentences hoping to get a reply.

But he only drew his face mask even more up his chin and covered more of his face with his overgrown fringe.

Life from that day was surprisingly peaceful, mainly because Noblesse controlled her temper well and "I don't want to become barbarians like them, thank you very much." That was all in favor to him, and he frequently found himself free to do his own wishes.

This in fact, was much harder than it sounded as he found that he could not come up with any recreational activities what so ever. So, he resigned to care for his sniper rifle and planting and replanting the Garden.

Until Noblesse came to him one day and requested for a strawberry crepe.

Strawberry crepe?

Ah, yes. He did seem to possess that skill. When she peered at him as he stood with the sudden recollection of being able to cook, Lu flashed an expression of confirmation.

"You don't have to if you have other matters at hand," she said loftly.

He finally snapped out of it and knelt down on one knee.

"Your wish is my command."

His legs carried him automatically towards the kitchen, and his hands seemed to be following instinct as dough was made in front of his very eyes. How could he have forgotten? This was what Lu had praised him so much for and yet...it was like a distant dream. Diabla seemed to have matured to the point where sweets and afternoon tea wasn't the centre of the world. Noblesse, despite regaining her powers, retained that bit of innocence as the Lu he first met.

When he served the strawberry crepe, she had thanked him with a warm smile and eagerly plunged the silver fork instead. Only to make a small frown after a bite, and looking back at him.

"You forgot the sugar, Ciel." a gentle tone, wanting not to discipline but to remind.

Sugar? Of course, that sweet spice.

So he had found something elsw to do in his spare time, in the kitchen making dessert which Noblesse would gladly take the pleasure of tasting it. Just looking at her content smile, the words of gratitude and everything, he finally came to the conclusion why she was so different to Diabla despite their powers being at equal heights.

Diabla was a nightmare, a viscious lord that threatened to lash out at the slightest of things. Altar of Evil, the result of her madness always had that manic grin and chilling cackle that would haunt anyone.

But Noblesse. Noblesse was different.

She was like a dream, a paradise that allowed people to roam free. Looking like a child and yet so majestic.

Noblesse was in every way sane Diabla was madness. He only knew now that it wasn't insanity that constantly tugged on the other end of the bond, not unbearable pain. Rather, a gentle hand reaching for his grasp. But he was hesitant, so he left it hanging.

He hadn't fully transcended into darkness for quite a few days now, weeks or perhaps even a month. His mind couldn't recall a time where he had such a long break from it all. He would have hoped this would have at least reduced his syinc rate a bit but to no avail.

And this was why he was concerned.

He had only succumbed to madness due to Diabla's constant influence, it became too much and just overflowed. Remembering the first time they had cast Diabolic Disaster, the pull was too great and he almost forever retained his transcendence form. If Noblesse was now bonded to him, to Demonio who was on the brink of complete insanity, then she… she would…

Was this….fear?

Was he once again feeling this human feeling named "fear"? He didn't want Noblesse to go down the same path, not the Lu that had showed him that there was light in this world after all. Not her who so gradually lured him out of darkness. The hand held out to him, it was salvation.

She was salvation.

He wanted to be near her, to be by her side, to forever be her butler. Yet, he knew what would come of that. She deserved better, and he didn't deserve her, he came to the painful conclusion with a sadness he didn't realise.

Perhaps, it was his destiny to bath in eternal darkness…..

* * *

He sat in in the moonlit garden, just by the fountain, listenting to its running waters trying to acquire its peace. It was in the dead of night, and no movement could be seen nor heard so his rifle lay still on the empty seat beside his figure.

He couldn't sleep, not that he had to since becoming a demon signified his endurance improving to an abnormal level. It was a blessing to drift off into endless rifts of nothingness, it minimised the possible pain he could be experiencing. Considering how he had not been devoured by darkness for quite a long time, now was in fact the perfect time for him to leave everything behind.

But an uneasiness, a feeling he himself couldn't express served as a magnet, anchoring his consciousness to Elrios. Come to think of it, ever since Diabla became who she was he had never had a moment of peace. Sighing, he moved his tired form into the soft patch of flowers at his feet, staring up at the silvery moon. He remembered how he had done this before, before he became Demonio. The light was bright that time, like a whisp of fairy dust swirling through the sky. Now, it seemed to dull, fade away like his sanity. A small wetness, a trickle of heat rolled down his cheek. Then a few more followed from his darkened eye, until some became tainted with scarlet.

His eyes closed slowly, lying as if all life had abandoned him.

Then, a gentle hand brushed his cheek, wiping the blood away. The feeling, it was unfamiliar, his hand instinctively moved to his rifle but kept his body still. How could he have been so careless? As he was about to raise the weapon, another hand placed itself on his, a soothing touch that calmed his senses.

Finally, uncertainly, his eyes reflected light once more.

"Noblesse…" he breathed, no more than a murmur.

She smiled, a smile full of sadness, so heart-breaking.

"Ciel," she began.

"I am sorry."

He looked at her, puzzled by her sudden words. She had no reason to be sorry, if there was anything wrong it was with him. Perhaps he failed to please her and she decided to return to her own dimension. If that was it, then, there was nothing he could do. Nothing he would do, because this was a darkness he would accept, a pain he would bare if it was for her.

But the thought of losing that warmth, that hand, that touch...

More scarlet tears rolled down his cheek, this was a habit that he couldn't let go. If only...if only...

* * *

 **To be continued...**

 **We will leave it here for today, for dear Noblesse needs some more time with Demonio. Once again you have my gratitude in joining me tonight. Just before you leave the dimension portal, spare a minute a tell me what you think, it will help a lot in crafting future memories.**

 **I will show you a sweet dream the next night~**

 **_Sendo Erika 07.11.2016_**


	2. Chapter 2

**So you have returned, of course I am delighted by your presence. Tell me, was the portal too luring you could not resist joining me again? Heehee, just joking.**

 **A big thank you to Loverofanimalsr, Ducky and Izzy, Amy Valikie, Liyako Ayaki, Amaterasu31 and Last Step for joining me on my journey.  
** **I am grateful for all the encouragements and hope I will not disappoint, you have my deepest gratitude.**

 **You are just in time for another memory, this time we thank Noblesse for sharing it with you and me.  
** **Now now be patient, we need to get through their minds in the prologue before we enter the actual mystery.**

 **Now, let us open the door into this new fragment of time~**

 ** _Moonlight Memories_**

Chapter 2:

Noblesse felt...well she couldn't quite put her finger on what exactly her emotional state was now. Devastated perhaps, upon seeing those desolate eyes that no longer revealed any emotion. Especially the left one, the one with the darkened sclera that he seemed so desperate to hide from her view, it served as a painful reminder showing the result of Diabla's reckless actions. This deadly calm, it was more unnerving than ever and it was surprising to find herself still sipping tea as though nothing was out of the usual. Maybe the reality hadn't hit her yet. Deep down she did not want to believe that Ciel, the man who had showed her that there was still hope for regaining her throne, had in fact became this "being" in front of her now. Like a fragile doll, even a gentle touch could reduce him to shatters. She wanted to embrace him, to tell him he need not give his soul for her anymore, she just wanted him to be beside her.

Just to see that smile again.

It took a lot of restraint to not let the tears streaming in her heart outside, but when she finally managed to pull the edges of her mouth upwards, it was with a sadness she did too well to conceal. Too well, that he did not give a second thought to the turmoil raging inside her. The calm revived her senses and she opened her mouth to address him. A one-sided conversation, as it turns out, more to probe to test what was really left in his darkened soul. Only nods and that empty look to serve as a reply, it was enough to inform her that he was as paralysed as she was. A mistrust more likely, she knew how different she was to her counter-part Diabla. She will need time, how much she didn't know. Maybe, maybe there was still a chance to bring him back. A new light will shine, a dawn will break.

His soul will be purified, Noblesse swore with all her heart she would do anything it takes.

For the next few days she surveyed him carefully, having given him the freedom to do anything he would like. She had burned, looked at him with an eagerness for his feet to carry himself towards the place she expected. But when he headed in the opposite direction instead, she couldn't help her heart falling into a patch of darkness. Darkness that did not grab on, just swirling around her mind but not daring to tame. If only...if only Demonio could do the same. If darkness was not so harsh on him, he might be able to wriggle free. Baited breath escaped from her leash and out her mouth, she had been sighing far too frequently for her liking ever since the beginning of her resolve. She continued to do so however, as her eyes caught sight of him in the Garden of Haures, again. Yes she would agree the flowers did look magnificent giving off their ominous aura, but being a demonic plant meant that they did not need to be constantly pruned like normal ones. Ciel certainly knew that, besides even if he took a liking in looking after them he should try to stop breaking their stems! Noblesse scoffed, before remembering it was not really his fault his fingers had lengthened to pointed claws.

Apart from mentally forgetting, could it also be because of the physical change that lead to his hobbies being left behind?

Indeed, it would be difficult to make desert for Diabla and even her if the dough would constantly be punctured with little finger-like holes in them. Then again perhaps her counterpart had matured to the point where her sweet tooth wasn't as strong. Lu knew how much cooking meant to Ciel, it was one of the rare things that had accompanied him from his tragic childhood. To not turn to it as an instinct, would mean it no longer held any significance whatsoever.

Maybe this would be a good place to start.

Ever since she requested the strawberry crepe, she noticed with a triumphant grin that he seemed to recover that part of memory. Apart from forgetting the sugar, but these things take one step at a time. So she had took it upon herself to try the deserts for him, a quest she was only too delighted to take. Progress was being made, and as time passed even more she felt that he had gradually opened up a little to her. Just a little, almost as if he was holding back. She could tell he was attracted by her warmth, but something was limiting him from holding on to her hand.

And now was the time to find out why.

"Ciel... I'm sorry."

She was wearing her silk white nightgown, reflecting the silvery moonlight as she sat in amidst the dark flowers. She had moved his head gently onto her lap, and the uncertain gaze he gave her broke through her mental defenses. Tears trickled down her cheek, like pearls in the dark night. And he said she looked like a child, he must never had looked in the mirror. She was certain now, losing his human emotions had reduced his soul and mind to that of an innocent child. She had had this thought before, but dismissed it with a shake of her head without much thought. As the master and servant continued to stare at each other, Lu saw through slightly blurred vision her tears had fell on his face but he didn't bother wiping it away. With another sigh, she reached for his flesh. So white, so pale, so fragile...

He flinched.

An act he tried to hide, a mistake he had never committed before.

Her hand withdrew slightly, just barely. She admits silently it hurt, it burned, it almost gave her despair to see him not even able to accept her touch. Now was not the time, with renewed steadiness she brushed the increased droplets of water on his face, moving his overgrown fringe from his eye in the process. White stars met the dark gaze, shining into them in the hope of reaching the soul within. A glow ignited inside Noblesse's heart. Maybe this will work. If I can go inside, if he will let me in...

"Ciel, do you know me?"

He knew Lu, the cute figure he had made the contract to before she went insane.

He knew Diabla, madness and everything flickered within him whenever she was near.

But Noblesse...

The hesitation was tense, petrifying her as she waited with patience for the reply. She didn't really have to know the answer, perhaps it was an answer she already had. She made sure not to break eye contact, still fixing her gaze on that darkened eye.

Slowly, he nodded.

"You are Lu." he said simply.

Innocence, an answer that confirmed her doubts. She replied with a bright smile. Taking a deep breath, she continued.

"This wasn't meant to happen, Ciel. You...didn't have to. How could Diabla...how could I let this happen to you?"

Another clueless gaze, and the edges of his mouth twitched as if to speak. She quickly brought a finger to his lips, silencing him until she finished.

"I know you are afraid I go down the same path as Diabla, but you need to see that we are different. I have learned to deal with my powers overtime, that is what resulted in me, Noblesse. Darkness nor madness will consume me, Ciel."

His eyes gradually widened. A flicker so fast she could have mistook it as her eyes playing tricks, a glimmer that she recognised. Yes it was still alive, just deep inside...

"Will you...trust me?"

His hand inched forwards, the key finally finding its home. A twist, that was all it would take and light will flood in.

Light... something he yearned for.

A click.

"Thank you Ciel."

She placed her hand over his eyes, and he closed them obediently. The touch then moved towards the star shaped symbol on his chest, she let her power flurry out through her fingertips into him. She knew he never got much sleep, he didn't need to but this was a strain on his mind that made him always on edge. Her eyes moved up to the black velvet with sprinkles of dust here and there, accompanied by the moon that seemed to shine brighter tonight. She remembered too, that night where they had lay together on the grass staring up. A distant memory, one she would have thought to be replayed every now and then. His breathing slowed, having fallen into a tranquil darkness where not even insanity would pester his mind. Noblesse closed her own eyes and leaned against the fountain. She will never let Ciel fall into eternal madness, she couldn't allow that to happen after all he had done.

They had a long way to go, but for now she was only too eager to join him in endless fantasy.

* * *

So bright...

A frown crossed over his features, normally he would wake to total darkness. If he did fall sleep of course, he always kept the curtains in his room closed to block out the sun which hurt his mind every time it showed up in his vision. Surprisingly enough, his instincts didn't tell him to immediately open his eyes to scan the surroundings because things were out of the usual. Instead, the good night's sleep continued to play its lullaby and he felt himself quite tempted to release his consciousness again. He shifted, flipping himself on to his side to face the left while his hand groped for the soft pillow. Strange, a usually soft pillow became sort of bony. A thought he dismissed as he snuggled his head towards the warmth.

Warmth?

He was probably facing the wall, that was a habit to keep his mind in darkness just in case some light still managed to seep through the curtains.

The wall shouldn't be warm. It shouldn't be moving either, right?

It gradually all pieced together but still his eyes remained shut, wanting to hold on to sleep just a little longer. His instincts took over and roamed the surroundings. Flowers, the Garden. The sound of running water, the fountain. The chirping of birds, it was morning. This "pillow" beneath his head...

Thighs...?

Now that was a thought he couldn't dismiss, in fact it was too peculiar his eyes snapped open. He blinked, once then twice, then he tilted his head towards the right. The sharp horn on his head brushed against soft flesh, causing the peaceful face to stir slightly. He sat up to fully survey what in the name of the devil was happening now. Still fast asleep, her mouth was open slightly and the soft white hair trailed down her shoulders. He looked at her, and he looked at himself. His eyes turned to his long black overcoat, then to her bare shoulders. With a shrug, the clothing fell and he draped it around her for some warmth.

Her existence was light, her form now seemed so much like a dream he thought he was still asleep. To confirm his doubts, he brought a pointed finger to her cheek and prodded.

No reaction.

He did it again, still his mistress made no sign whatsoever. He felt the great temptation and couldn't stop himself from continuing the action repeatedly, until he realised his blackened claws had caused a trickle of scarlet to craft its path in the patch of white. Ciel blinked his eyes while his hand quickly withdrew itself, unsure of what to do next. His head turned frantically from left to right, looking for a bandage of some kind to stop the bleeding to no avail. The obvious conclusion was to wipe it away, but remembering it was his finger that had caused the problem in the first place, it seemed wrong to solve the problem with the same thing.

So he sat there, not daring to wake Noblesse, not wanting to see her disappointed face.

That was what he had thought, just wait for her to wake up, but when the blood stained her white nightgown he tugged lightly on the edge of her clothing. She however only shifted her head slightly, wanting to find a more comfortable position.

Completely baffled now, he pulled the dress slightly harder.

And to his utter surprise, Noblesse smiled.

* * *

 **To be continued...**

 **Heehee, do you see the change?  
** **Its fine if you don't, it will be revealed next chapter.**

 **Would you like a cup of tea or a plate of cookies before you return to your world?  
** **What? Don't want to leave yet?  
** **Heehee, I will be back soon. After Glave has stopped pestering me about toying with time and space, I suspect we will see each other more frequently than before.**

 **Once again, I will be grateful for you to send a word or two. I hope I did not disappoint OwO**

 **I will show you a sweet dream the next night~**

 ** _Sendo Erika 11.11.2016_**


	3. Chapter 3

**Is it time already?  
**

 **Forgive me, this memory is being particularly difficult to craft. Do take a seat while I complete the final finishing touches.**

 **Ah,there. Try a brownie to settle in, for this is where our story takes a slight turn in direction.  
We all know Lu and Ciel are the best duo around, it is time to see them in action.  
I wonder what happens when they have different partners instead.  
**

 **All set?**

 **Let us fall back into the endless rifts of time~**

 ** _Moonlight Memories_**

Chapter 3:

 _"When do you think she will wake up?"_

 _The shadow of a petite figure swung its skinny legs to and fro, while the head shook itself to get a few strands of hair out of the way before directing its attention towards her company. He however, still kept his eyes averted to the other being in the room. The gaze was held for another minute longer until he sighed, turning to the now setting sun to admire its brightness. The light didn't blind him, not that it was supposed to, in fact he loved the warm colour it painted the dim room. This was why they had chosen this particular space for the unexpected visitor to rest, her skin looked as white as bone, like no sunlight had dared to land on her and tame the cold aura. The bed was in open view of the window yet surprisingly enough, it seemed as though an invisible barrier had positioned itself around the girl so that light automatically scattered. When one looked extra closely, the barrier could actually be made out to be swirling wisps of dark energy that entwined together in some sort of pattern. The first time the man had touched her a streak of lightning had hissed and gnawed at his fingers, so one thing was for sure._

 _No light, and don't dare touch me._

 _"I have no idea, I don't even know what is wrong with her," came the curt and exasperated reply._

 _They had been through this multiple times, because it just didn't make any sense why this guest had slept for weeks with no sign of stirring. Now that was the small part, the real mystery was why her face had been in shredded ribbons that he had had to bandage it completely to prevent that vomiting sensation every time it came into view. Herbs, remedies, complete recovery potions made no difference whatsoever. They had even retrieved some of that "special" water from the Fountain of Healing in Hamel on Ariel's advice, but they might as well have been feeding her normal water to see if that worked. The man strolled off to find the Cobo representative with murderous intent accompanied by three throwing knives upon returning, until the girl threatened him to set Apollyon on his tail if he didn't stop acting so rashly._

 _The two sat in almost despair with no clue of what to try next. The smaller shadow hopped up from her stool, approaching the still sound asleep figure and reached out to touch the bandages around her face. In an instant, a forcefield the size of the whole room materialised, repelling the small demon with its dark purple embers to the floor had her partner not caught her in his strong embrace. The delicate carving remained there for some more time before slowly, too slowly, evaporating into small dark specks of dust._

 _She flared up, gritting her teeth before addressing him._

 _"I want a plate of cookies plus a strawberry smoothie right now! We'll worry about this peasant later."_

 _With that, she spun on her heel and stormed out the door, the small demon tail twitching menacingly._

 _Point taken, he decided._

 _He was losing patience waiting for her to wake up too, though it was an urge he could not explain. In fact, he had begun to wonder why they had decided to save her in the first place, because they were definitely not charity and would by no means suddenly change their ways. As though it was a bond, a familiarity that had them quickly moving the girl to safety. He shook the streak of blue hair out of his face before following out the door with a last frown at the guest._

 _For now, he will be contempt to just have a nice snack time with his master._

* * *

It was funny really, Noblesse chuckled lightly to herself while taking another sip from the elegant teacup in her hands.

Demonio's touch had provided something far from pain. It was ticklish, increasingly so when he continued without hesitation. This meant that her magic had worked, and that was the first step in her plans. At first she was hesitant, for this was something never proved to have taken effect. Judging by his actions however, she had succeeded in reducing his mind to that of a child. That would also imply some loss of common sense and boundaries, but that was a small price to pay if he could return to his former self.

A child learns from experiencing things first hand.

She decided she would accompany him through the process of learning emotions again.

That was the least she could do, to repay him for everything he had done, everything he had given for her and the glorious throne. A throne that didn't seemed to matter if he was not by her side.

She couldn't help letting a warm smile flow over her features when she finally opened her eyes, for he was sitting in front of her like a wounded puppy who had just been scolded by his master. This was too out of character to be true. Who would have thought that the entity of death was capable of having big watery eyes that made saying "no" entirely impossible? A quick brush across the small scratch had returned her cheek to normal, causing a sigh of relief to be heard from the servant.

"Good morning Ciel. I hope you have had a good rest."

His eyes darted quickly from the ground to her face, fidgeting fingers betrayed the nerves he tried to hide.

"Good...morning Lu..." That was less than a whisper.

Now that was certainly better, considering the previous mornings he had only replied to her greetings with a grunt too quiet it could be ignored. Of course, Noblesse wasn't annoyed at the slightest. She casually explained that he was feeling "nervous" and "panic", emotions that occur normally when someone was afraid or on edge. He nodded obediently, indicating that he understood before she ushered him inside for breakfast. So now they sat at the table, with her drinking tea while Ciel prodded at the pancakes he just made. She had planned for them to return to Lanox today, to the fated place they were destined to meet and make the contract. Memories, so many of them, all began from there. She was certain if he saw the village again, something else would return to his mind. When her mouth opened to propose the idea however, a messenger looking like a complete mess came rushing in.

"Milady, the patrols have detected a strong aura near the Southern Gate." The words left his mouth in pants, only just able to forge together to form a complete sentence.

A frown painted itself to her features as she waved a hand to dismiss the disheveled demon. This wasn't good news, normally they would not report such sightings unless it required her power to eliminate the possibility of danger. This was already the third time this month, and it would be a lie to say she did not have some suspicions raised.

She sighed, looks like their trip would have to be postponed until this matter was taken care of.

* * *

Ciel walked side by side with Lu, lost in his own thoughts.

He couldn't stop wondering how, despite being the same usual request from the patrols, the two monarchs treat them in completely different manners. Diabla would grin manically then drag him away to have what she defines as a "party," or more accurately what others would call "bloody slaughter." That would normally end with both of them coming back dyed scarlet which she will be contempt to clean herself by licking the blood off instead of taking a bath. Her blood lust was, he concluded, too hard to satisfy.

Noblesse on the other hand, had turned to him with a determined and yet tired gaze. She didn't enjoy killing at all, but would gladly do it for her people. Unlike the insane expression plastered to his former master's face, her face remained somewhat passive when they got through the many demons that tried to block their path. Not just physically, the aura given by the two was different too. Diabla would be trailing a red silhouette under the effects of Bloodlust. The queen in front of him now however, radiated a blue light.

A light from the heavens, purifying and illuminating the darkness.

Lu stopped abruptly, before turning around to address him.

"Ciel, remember this. No matter what we meet, do not transcend into darkness. Don't you dare let madness consume you."

She said it with such a serious expression he felt uneasy. He didn't want to either, but previously he had only succumbed to darkness because the situation was out of hand. However, he nodded to not let anything show on his face. They were traipsing through a forest now, trying to track whatever the threat was. Actually it wasn't too difficult, considering the beast had left a path of destruction. That put him on guard, even the gentle rustling of leaves did not escape his keen ears. He had to protect Lu, it was duty, it was instinct, it was natural.

A rustle.

The demonic rifle was already in his hand, his body positioned protectively in front of Noblesse. Eyes darting left to right without turning his head, he tried to locate where the sudden disturbance had come from. There was no aura to be detected, eliminating the possibility of it hiding in the trees or in the ground. His long white hair caught in the wind, flowing towards the left. That must mean the wind was from the right, and if there was no scent...

A sharp movement of his hand angled the weapon towards the wind, the trigger pulled without hesitating. Instantly, a bullet laced with killing intent shot towards the gnarled trees. A loud, painful howl confirmed it hitting home. The beast pounced towards its attacker with force enough to crush a normal human. He only just managed to block the offense with his rifle in front of him, pushing it off with unnatural force from himself. When he finally stayed on his feet, his eyes flashed as he took in the monster.

Its mouth was shaped in a howl, showing pointed white fangs threatening to pierce. A crater would be made out in ad mists its blue fur by the chest from the bullet he had shot just seconds before. Markings forming some sort of pattern engraved themselves down its arm and legs, coming into a circle on the hand. Two gigantic, eerie eyes glared down at the master and servant as if to determine whether they were a worthy opponent. Lu seemed just as surprised as he was, not daring to make a move yet just in case something was afoot.

Berthe...? Why was it here?

"Ciel!" Lu yelled as the hound lifted its shaggy head up to the sky, about to perform the infamous "Ice Blast."

The two just managed to leap back to safety as a beam of ice flashed past them.

"Sinister mind!" he yelled, still in mid air.

Seeds clung themselves to the enemy, sending its claws to grasp at itself trying to shake the annoying thing off to no avail. Noblesse took the chance to materialise multiple spears to rain down, pinning the poor animal to the ground. Grabbing another one in her hand, she thrust the spectral spear right through its eyes. Blood spurted out as another roar shook the surroundings, a look of utter disgust dawned itself upon her features as some of the liquid landed on her exquisite blue dress.

Berthe continued to thrash about, talons everywhere until it somehow slowed down. Looking down, she saw at its feet multiple flowers sapping its energy. She let out a light chuckle, he didn't care for that Garden for nothing. Master and servant now stood back to back, giving each other a nod to indicate that they were ready. With a deep breath, they launched the final blow.

"Eschat-"

 _"Abyss-"_

Silence fell, even the beast seemed to quieten down as it too wondered why it wasn't dead yet. For of course, no arrow of energy came out of the portal. Neither did the plasma beam that would kill anything and everything trapped inside.

The obvious conclusion fell on the two. They were not with their usual partners, how were they suppose to cast a combination skill if the other did not even know the name let alone how? Demonio was the first to recover and fired another bullet to keep the enemy pinned. Noblesse followed his lead, summoning a large claw from the ground to keep it at bay. Both searched in their minds for skills long since forgotten. With another look at each other, they yelled in unison.

"Soul Infest!"

Light blue spirits and grenades locked onto the beast's form, exploding like fireworks dealing too much damage for it to heal. When the dust cleared away, the creature was motionless.

Lu was the first to let go of a baited breath. Then she turned to her partner and smiled, this was the first time they had battle together, a moment to be remembered. Except maybe for the part where they looked dumbfounded at each other.

To her joy, Noblesse found the edges of Demonio's mouth twitching slightly upwards as well.

The first smile, he had ever given her.

* * *

 **To be continued...**

 **Heehee, it seems dear Demonio still retains memories from when they first met.**

 **Oh, did I mention the brownies were made by our special guest?**

 **Let me introduce him...next time we see each other.**

 **Once again I express my heart felt appreciation for the reviews left by Last Step, Liyako Ayaki and the Guest, it is indeed a great feeling to know that people are enjoying my story.**

 **You are welcome to leave some thoughts just before you leave, I hope to welcome more guests and improving my crafting skills is definitely a good place to start OwO/**

 **I will show you a sweet dream the next night~**

 ** _Sendo Erika 19.11.2016_**


	4. Chapter 4

**Ah, welcome! Come on in, don't just linger in the doorway.**

 **I have been expecting you, perhaps you have been waiting for me too. I do apologise sincerely for the lateness of this memory, the dimension portal didn't seem to want to open until now.  
But, let us put that aside. We have another journey to move through in limited time.  
I am afraid this time we will just have to make do with a cup of milk tea, as cookies do take quite a long time to bake. **

**Time has begun to flow, let us hurry into its eternal waves~**

 ** _Moonlight Memories_**

Chapter 4:

They were both glad for a moment to take a breath.

The fight with Berthe was by no means unbearable, but the many questions without answers threatened Noblesse to the point where she needed to sit down and catch her breath. Of course, accompanied by Demonio's specially made milk tea with Oreo cheesecake. They had not returned to the Castle of Abbadon yet upon his request, so a bonfire was lit in the middle of the woods. She would have propped herself on a nearby fallen log as he had suggested, which she had feigned a smile as a reply, until he trailed off to set up defensive barriers around their campsite. Quickly moving away from the gnarled wood, she brushed the back of her sky blue skirt frantically, hoping to remove any dirt unwilling to let go.

She couldn't tell Ciel that this was in fact her last available dress at the moment. She also couldn't tell him this was all because of his doing, a smile replaced the irritated look moments before. Who would have thought the washing would be surveyed by gaping servants in the morning while the culprit ignored them by humming a cheerful tune? The mistress had rushed to the site where the servants had almost become statues staring. Just in time to see one of her white tops, one of her favorites too, being hung on the bars of Desperado. The poles arranged in a perfect oval stood proud and tall, glistening a colour completely opposite to the shining sun. Her white top lay innocently as a patch of snow on the tallest bar, having being shot into place by a stunning bullet from the demonic rifle. Though looking physically unharmed, an unexplained lack of energy always washed over whenever she tried to wear that particular shirt.

And that was not all.

Demonio happened to be trying out different bullets sent from a certain Guardian and Empyrean gunner. A large spectrum to try as it turns out, also resulting in a large spectrum of "different debuff" shirts. Once she put one on, only to be frozen to the spot unable to move while he had peered at her with a uncomprehending gaze. Now that had certainly set her flaring, but quickly calming down after seeing the face when it tried to hold in imaginary tears as she gave her lecture.

They all learnt a lesson: never let him touch the washing. They also debated whether to tell Chung and Rose never to send bullets again.

At first she thought it was a joke really, because his own long overcoats had not given this surprising effect even though they had been on the bars eventually as well. He must have used normal bullets instead, she concluded, until he informed her he had natural resistance to most debuffs due to the overflowing energy pulsing through his veins. She was slightly surprised to find that Diabla's madness had not totally been negative, otherwise her companion would not have been shaped into the feared fighter he was now.

Whipping her soft hair behind her back, she levitated into mid-air while returning to the matter at hand.

Berthe, a monster from Feita, had appeared here near Abbadon. The two were miles away from each other, and it would be surprising that a demon such as itself had the brains to read the map to find the way. The more likely possibility was that someone had sent it here, or time and space had distorted for it to walk through here. This was not good news, Noblesse thought. She had disrupted the balance in between dimensions when she crossed over to meet Demonio. Perhaps Glave finally realised that something was wrong, Berthe's unexpected appearance could be space trying to maintain the balance she herself had caused. If this was it, then she was running out of time. The first thing on her list, when time comes, was to return to her right timeline to see if that could extend her time a little.

To be honest, dimension hopping wasn't one of her favorites, not something she would try everyday at least. It took a lot of energy and time, she wouldn't carry out the process without at least stuffing down five cakes specially made by "him". Her feet nearly collapsed beneath her on the day she finally met Demonio, the relief had washed over her once she saw she was where she intended.

Her eyes directed themselves to the darkened sky, the crimson flame casting a flickering light illuminating her face.

I hope he is well.

* * *

 _ **Darkness slowly withdrew into a drowsy grey as sunlight, so brilliantly bright, directed its attention into the lonely window. The window was in fact, the only one atop the tower. Just as well, for there was only one occupant in this isolated place to admire the rising of a new dawn.**_

 _ **His eyes gradually fluttered open, irritated slightly by the sudden intruder. The same patterned ceiling, the unchanged wall splashed with a dazzling blue, the scene the man had awoken to see time and time again. His light blue hair lay splayed out on the pillow, messy and unkempt like the mind of its owner. Limbs groaning, he straightened the upper half of his worn out body into a sitting position. Hands shot to support the lolling head as the brain struggled to clear itself.**_

 _ **He had been there for...well, he couldn't remember. Long enough to lose track, long enough for him to almost forget his life before finding himself in this desolate, lonely place. His legs finally found the strength to place themselves gingerly on the velvety carpet, carrying him over towards the mirror. He surveyed the worn-out figure that served as his very own reflection, feeling slightly disgusted. Hair once sleek now stood like sticks and twigs in a undisturbed bush. Once laid back shoulders now hunched forward, not totally over, but enough to imply the lack of care. He shook his head from left to right, not baring to stare at himself any longer.**_

 _ **Now that wouldn't do, he concluded. He needed to be decent at all times in order to serve as her forever faithful butler when she returned.**_

 _ **If she returned.**_

 _ **A gentle tune echoed in the small space, by no means cheerful, but enough to indicate the passive mood the man was in. He bustled here and there, getting through morning duties with a quick yet precise air. He changed out of his pajamas, donning the dark blue coat like those of a conductor and carefully typing the white bow neatly at his neck. Within a minute, he stood in front of the door with the demonic blaster held firmly in his right hand.**_

 _ **Right, he huffed. I will try again.**_

 _ **Aiming with a sniper's steadiness, he directed the weapon's lethal end towards the door. Now, one would wonder why such a well-cultured man had suddenly decided to fire at quite an innocent door. The door did nothing wrong really, just standing there in its place and doing its job. Well, half of it at least. The "closing" part was excellent for sure, its counter-part however was the complete opposite. Gunshot loud enough to rattle even the bed on the far side of the room rang throughout the tidy space. A gigantic hole had made itself too visible on the door. An opening, a pathway to the outside world. So simple, who would have thought?**_

 _ **The man sighed before lowering the blaster, watching it disappear in the rift he kept it carefully preserved.**_

 _ **Following his attention, the hole seemed to blister blue and black. Still remaining as wide as ever, it was happy to just remain as it was. Holding onto his last stream of hope, the man causally approached the opening with fingers out-stretched.**_ _ **A demonic symbol flared in front of his blue eyes, causing him to stagger and fall back to land on the floor. The radiant light stayed for a little while longer, as if to guffaw at his failure before dispersing into endless specks of black dust.**_

 _ **A gesture of his right hand sent a slicing wave of power to the long parchment hanging on the wall. Demonic words wove themselves into place on the surface, recording the particular trick he had just tried to be ineffective. Similar lines of notes were arranged above in a tidy manner also indicating other moves to have no help in escaping. He awkwardly picked himself off the floor, dusting the back of his coat thinking how she would be displeased to find his clothing dirty.**_

 ** _He moved to sit in front of the tea table positioned to the left of the door. Instantly, a tray ladened with cereal, milk, toast and sugar materialised from thin air to greet him, accompanied by a teapot with one lone teacup. The sweet fragrance of red tea spread itself around the room as the crimson liquid was poured into the snow white cup. Without losing any elegance, the cereal and milk were mixed as butter smeared itself on the toast._**

 ** _As he ate, the man pondered the puzzle pieces that he had managed to gather._**

 ** _First of all, judging by how the hole could regenerate itself after he blasted it with all his might, this "room" that mimicked his own too well was in fact, not his room. His guess was that this was an alternate space specially tailored to fit his needs. He never went hungry, as every time he sat down at the table food would automatically appear as if a chef had already asked what he would have liked for that particular meal. That of course, was quite convenient for he didn't have to cook his own which would be difficult having no access to a kitchen. His clothes too, they would be freshly laundered each morning and placed on the back of the only chair. The small bathroom linked to the main was just as it should be as well, but he couldn't help having the feeling that something was off._**

 **The most puzzling thing was definitely the sky outside.**

 **Yes, the sun would rise and darkness faded each morning. Time passes, the sun would go down. Rather, it should. After staring outside one day, the man become sure that it wasn't his eyes playing petty tricks on him, but sunset really never came. The sky would suddenly become black when the sun had been blazing just seconds ago. He was as close to unraveling the reason why as he was to leaving this irritating dimension.**

 **He picked up the white cloth lying beside the silver utensils, gently tapping it at the edges of his mouth. When he put it back onto the tray, it along with the empty bowls were whisked away by invisible hands to god knows where. Making sure that none of the bits and crumbs had fallen on the floor, he stood up, stretching his slightly taut muscles. His attention directed itself towards a small piece of parchment lying next to a bottle of ink and quill. These were set on his bedside table, someone must have definitely wanted him to read whatever the message conveyed first thing in the morning.**

 **His slightly dimmed emotions from the failure this morning were immediately ignited as he read the thin, slanting writing waiting to be seen. A renewed hope, an incredible determination to free himself resided in his mind.**

 **He would fight until the day he met her again, just for her words.**

 _"Trust me."_

* * *

 **To be continued...**

 **We have now uncovered another time in space, I hope you have enjoyed this strange encounter.  
As I said previously, I would introduce the special guest in this chapter.  
Perhaps I already have...Heehee**

 **Once again I would like to express my thanks for all who have decided to join me on my tour tonight.  
Don't hesitate to give me some tips on anywhere you think may be improved.  
Hmm...maybe preparing a bunch of muffins would be a good place to start OwO~**

 **I will show you a sweet dream the next night~**

 ** _Sendo Erika 27.11.2016_**


	5. Chapter 5

**Come on in, be my guest.  
**

 **I have been trying to open the dimension portal from a different place, difficult as it turns out postponing our reunion until now.  
My body is having problems harnessing its powers too, so I'm afraid crafting later memories would take longer than usual.  
I hereby sincerely apologise.**

 **Now now don't look so irritated.**  
 **Here, I'll offer you my specially made strawberry sundae to lead you in tonight.**

 **Hold my hand, let just join the next waltz~**

 ** _Moonlight Memories_**

Chapter 5:

 _The beginning of another day, starting as always with the sun rising above the horizon, sending its rays through the window onto the still fast asleep face. Eyelids pressed together irritated by the brightness, the man was the first to awake from the goodnight's sleep in their house. The room was silent, apart from the minute chirps presented by passing birds to welcome his consciousness back to Elrios._

 _Dreadlord was in quite a happy mood this morning god knows why, a lightness trailing his every step as he walked around the room to get himself ready. A handsome smile flashed in the mirror as he clipped the blue and black jacket on, watching the sleeves flow smoothly in the gentle morning breeze. His legs carried him eagerly towards the door and down the stairs, arriving in the kitchen to halt in front of the fridge. Peering inside, he reached forward to brush aside plates of cake or other deserts that his master was way too fond of before finding some cheese. Bacon, eggs, milk and cereal were also placed on the table and he reached for the apron hanging on the left door just beside the door. Soon the smell of gourmet wafted about the room accompanied by the sizzle of bacon and eggs in the frying pan before his skilled hands._

 _At last, breakfast sat ready at the table, leaving the only thing missing to be its taster. Dusting his wet hands on the apron, Dreadlord made his way back upstairs to the door beside his own. Two quick knocks on the door later, he was standing in the still darkness occupied room. A sigh left his lips. Hands gripped the sides of the curtains only to fling them back, causing a drowsy groan to sound on the bed. The occupant squirmed to turn away from the dazzling sun, curling into a ball beneath the blankets._

 _"Lu, wake up!"_

 _Muffled grumbles could just be heard, serving as almost silent complaint. Which, he treated as an invitation to lift the duvet without any sympathy._

 _Chiliarch lifted herself into a sitting position, rubbing her tired eyes to adjust them to the change in light intensity. Her white hair stood in every which way, only getting slightly tidier when Dreadlord patted the top of her head. Reminding the girl to get ready for breakfast, he hurried back to the kitchen to make the cookies she would definitely pester him for later. His breath remained steady even when he was spreading the dough, indicating not much effort was required despite the dough being quite sticky and hard to handle. After 10 minutes or so, he shoved the various shaped cookies into the oven with a pleased smile as he could finally sit down at the table and enjoy the meal eagerly waiting._

 _10 minutes later he still sat there, poking at the bacon with his fork._

 _Another 10 minutes later he shoved the food into his mouth._

 _At last, he yelled deliberately up the stairs with an amused tone._

 _"I guess I will just have to enjoy all the cookies by myself. What a shame Lu wouldn't be able to taste them!"_

 _Just as he fell back into his chair, a quick storm of feet could be heard and his master appeared in her seat still blurry eyed with messy hair. Dreadlord glared at her displeased, as it was crystal clear she had fell right back asleep after his morning call. Chilliarch threw a sleepy smile at him with no apology whatsoever, already gobbling down the breakfast he had managed to keep warm after such a long time. An exasperated smile masked his features, all anger forgotten as he mentally blamed his soft spot for cute things. When the two had finished, the table was cleared and the plate of cookies set out with a cup of black tea each._

 _They sat at the table now completely silent, only sipping at the delicate teacup once in a while._

 _"The client wants us meet us at 10 today."_

 _She puffed her cheeks up, annoyed at the fact that they had taken up yet another request._

 _"Can you go by yourself?" She whined, directing watery puppy eyes at the butler._

 _A few more minutes of coaxing with the promise of a chocolate smoothie later, the two set out towards the meeting place. One would wonder why the demon duo had accepted the quest of a commoner when they were so dedicated to retrieve her throne and power. Once again they were not charity, Chiliarch did not look entirely pleased they had to leave home for this reason either. But it was for her throne, well indirectly. Before you start on any goal or journey, you needed support. The true reason was..._

 _Money._

 _Like any other adventurer, ED was essential for everything. Of course, being the lord of the underworld meant pricey demands so surely there would be some funds saved somewhere. Yet somehow, and he didn't know how, the two had rushed through the money to get new armor, weapons and most importantly food. For Lu had a way too big stomach to satisfy, not to mention the picky tongue that did not help at all. She on the other hand was thrown out of her territory before she could even grab anything, so the two resolved to taking on quests here and there as they continued on their travels._

 _They arrived at a rundown looking shack located on the outskirts of Altera, even the clinking of gears were less obvious here enforcing its desolation. His gunblades were within arms reach, already on guard as calling for help here wouldn't prove to be effective. The door handle was painted a faded gold, worn away over the years from the rain and erosion. It groaned heavily when he placed his hand on it but surprisingly gave way quite easily, revealing the path inside. Herding Lu swiftly behind his protective form, he made his first step onto the dust covered floor._

 _The space inside was dark, in fact dark wouldn't even cover half of it. They were bathing in complete darkness, Dreadlord became incredibly grateful for his heightened senses ever since he received demonic powers from Chiliarch. Another careful step led him further into the room, still cautious not to leave the door too far behind._

 _Nothing stirred, only the dust patches lifting their heads at his feet._

 _His movement became a louder stroll, not completely eager to hide his trail now. He tried to spread his instinct as Lu had showed him before, wanting to let it flow out of his body to scan the surroundings. To his dismay, it only swirled, twirling around his central form only four metres away. Still he managed to see that there were shelves lining the walls, occupied by various bottles whose contents remained veiled. There seemed to be no other door, or maybe he hadn't looked far enough. Mentally noting to work on his instincts, he moved forwards to look for the way on.  
_

 _Dear Chiliarch on the other hand, poked at the floor where she had just found quite an interesting looking symbol. Her small ball of blue flame cast deadly shadows over the delicate carving as her fingers traced its outline._

 _"Ciel" she whispered, wanting to catch his attention._

 _No reply._

 _She shone her small devil flame around, looking for her butler just to see a shadow of a sleeve moving towards the right._

 _"Ciel!" she called slightly louder, running towards him._

 _Only to drop the flame directly onto the symbol._

 _A large rumble shook the floor, no the floor itself shook violently and the small girl lost her balance. She expected to meet solid ground, only to be disappointed as her form fell right through into the abyss below. Her scream lingered as her butler didn't fare better, following into the sudden hole that appeared at their feet.  
_

 _When the two demons were gone, the shack seemed to be silent again. The door swung closed, creaking like a cackling witch. The floor miraculously mended itself looking unnoticeable once again. The symbol at which the demon lady was touching glowed once, then died out._

 _A deep chuckle left its echo in the undisturbed space._

* * *

Darkness.

Nothing in front of his eyes, just pure darkness.

Again.

His eyelids casually moved upwards, hoping against hope that something, something other than nothing would come into view. He didn't speed up despite his eagerness. Perhaps it was fear, fear that everything would be the same. Or maybe he knew nothing would change, so didn't bother getting his hopes too high.

Despair only comes when you hold too much hope. He had learnt that the hard way.

Sure enough, not the littlest of light appeared in the black velvet. Then again, what did he expect? He had hoped the last time, the time before that, and the time before that time. In the end he came to the conclusion he might as well just sit down and wait for it to subside on its own. So he did, leaning against a tree with his arms folded across his chest, he stood with utter stillness. His vision had already been blurring when he left Noblesse with the excuse of setting up so-called defensive barriers. Actually, it wasn't an excuse because he and his mistress did stand vulnerable in the forest right now. He was by no means worried about his own safety, oh no he could perfectly dispatch a whole wave of demons without his eyesight just using pure instinct. He didn't dare take the risk now however, as she was present.

He would do anything, give everything to protect Noblesse.

He held a summon card in his right hand now, twirling it in between his dark claws. Luckily he had visited Eve before they left, the Code Nemesis had gladly sealed her Atomic Shield into the card for one time use only. A swift motion had set the card on the soil as the skill name left his lips, materialising a giant blue web like dome having a radius of at least two kilometres. With that done, he returned back to his spot beside the tree, wondering how much time he still needed. Preferably she wouldn't come looking for him, that would need a lot of explaining because she would definitely realise something was wrong.

He didn't want her to worry, she didn't need to waste her time on that. Despite this, a feeling of glee flowed into his heart at the thought if she did come running.

That would mean he held significance in her heart.

It had never be at question whether they cared about each other, they had made an unbreakable contract and that said everything. He felt ashamed, he should know better than to have such thoughts, but recently he couldn't shake off the feeling that Noblesse was becoming increasingly far away. He suspected that there was something very vital she had not told him, not that she had to, with that followed the feeling she was going to leave him soon for some reason. Perhaps it was just an uneasiness that accompanied this loss of vision, perhaps he was just being too cautious.

So why exactly was this happening?

He had guesses, each one more unlikely than the last. The closest one was that he, or more precisely his madness, was being a pain and complaining. He himself was perfectly fine with her being who she was, but it didn't like how his mistress was too kind, too calm, too sane. Indeed, his insanity fed on Diabla and became accustomed to all the immense power that flowed through, with Noblesse it didn't have such delights. It was hungry, and he not descending into darkness recently only made it worse.

An exasperated sigh left his lips.

Nobelsse wouldn't know, he would make sure he hid it well. Just as that thought flowed in his mind, a distinct voice came to his ears.

"Ciel! Ciel are you there?"

Oh dear.

His stood dead still, completely paralysed with no idea what to do. Then the panic came and he scrambled to hide himself, all dignity as the entity of death forgotten looking like a lost child playing hide and seek. He opened his eyes again, glad to find some blurry grey shapes were becoming visible. Just a little while longer, just a few more minutes...

"Ciel~" Came another call.

His instinct flowed out from him, like a circle of tentacles reaching for anything within a radius of twenty metres searching for anything of use.

And then he found it.

A fluffy animal scurried past him, took another look at him, and became as paralysed as he was.

The two stared at each other wide eyed, as she arrived at the scene.

* * *

 **To be continued...**

 **The daily life of Chiliarch and Dreadlord always brings a smile, quite different from that of Noblesse and Demonio don't you think?**

 **I would like to express my gratitude to Bartogromeo, InfiniteVoidWalker, MargaritaDaemonelix, Preneli, EmiyaKiritsugu1995 and Isangtao for accompanying and encouraging me on my journey. Welcome abroad I hope you have a time to cherish.**

 **Our tour ends here for tonight, give me a word of what you think. I am open to all advice OwO~**

 **I will show you a sweet dream the next night~**

 ** _Sendo Erika 08.12.2016_**


	6. Christmas OVA (Teaser)

**Cough cough~  
Merry Christmas my visitors, may Santa visit you to deliver your present.  
Hopefully unlike me, you have stayed warm and away from a cold.  
**

 ***sniff* Put that aside, let us join in our duo on their Christmas Day.**

 **A note that I will be linking this portal to that of New Year as well, so this is only half of the memory.**

 **Without further ado, fall back into this rift~**

 ** _Moonlight Memories_**

Christmas Special OVA:  


Snow drifted over the capital, dancing with the people already bustling about the streets despite the early morning. The roofs of each house was painted pure white, like the sweet icing on a cake specially made to serve as Christmas pudding. Of course, the snowflakes were responsible for this and decided to take their mischief one step further by landing on the noses of the passers by, who responded happily by letting them sit on their palms before rejoining the its friends. Disappointed, the small bits of white placed their feet on the road to join their friends at their own party to the side. One particular snowflake however, decides to carry out its journey further towards the left, fluttering in the wind before finally touching its destination at the feet of a grand gate.

It is on this cold morning, where we turn our attention to the majestic castle gazing from high above. It too was ladened with frost, the normal deep blue glow slightly lightened into the shade of the sky on a clear day. The place was still quiet, clearly undisturbed by the business down below, only the birds chirped its merry tune serving as a morning call to bring the occupants' consciousness back to Elrios. For now was the time of Christmas, a moment for festivities and family. It wouldn't do for everyone to still have their heads up in the clouds would it?

Royal Guard clearly didn't think so, that was why he was up right now with a spatula held in his right hand standing over a boiling pot. The kitchen in which he was working emitted nose enticing smells, unfortunately nobody apart from its maker could enjoy its fragrance. He didn't mind however, hurrying here to there to prepare the great feast to come tonight. The butler would have asked the others to help, but being a good cultured man who also played the role of host meant that this was his job. Without complaint, the turkey was placed into the oven just as the toaster started to beep, signifying that breakfast was ready. He made his way over to the cupboards, reaching for various jars of jam and butter accompanied by a few glasses. The fridge provided the orange juice while the kettle whistled its shrill call, eager to turn itself into red tea for his master later.

A quick glance up at the clock showed the busy butler that it was about time the others woke up, and sure enough a pair of footsteps could be heard from afar thanks to his keen ears. Royal Guard still remembered the first morning after the others' arrival about a month ago at the start of December. Noblesse had given him the task of escorting the two duos down to the dining room for breakfast having not had the time to show them around the previous night. So he set out towards the north wing to get the terror lord and monarch first, trying to stifle his laughter when the exasperated Dreadlord beckoned a still drowsy Chiliarch to brush her hair. He concluded it was quite an interesting sight when Dreadlord shook his head to do the deed for her, earning Oblivion on his tail because he added extra strength to straighten one particularly persistent curl.

At last they were ready, and Royal Guard bowed to inform them that they had to stop at the west wing before heading down to the dining room where Noblesse awaited. Chiliarch's exclamations of awe and amazement accompanied them as they passed through the various corridors, each special object explained to receive a few interested questions from Dreadlord. When they neared the final duo's door, the host couldn't shake off the feeling that it was unusually cold here, mentally making a note to check whether they happened to forget to get the heater on. It turns out it wasn't just him who felt it, eliminating the fact it may have been just his senses playing tricks on him.

"Are there no heaters on this side of the Castle?" Dreadlord had questioned.

"There are, but they must be malfunctioning." Royal Guard replied with a puzzled expression.

He placed his hand on the handle, only to withdrew instantly due to the sudden surprise.

"What's wrong?" the short white haired man asked, moving forwards to the door.

"Don't touch it." Chiliarch warned sharply, halting her butler right in his spot.

He had hardly ever heard her speak so seriously, there must definitely be something wrong. Slowly he extended his instincts, prodding and searching at the door, finally understanding why his blue haired companion had suddenly retreated. There was a demonic seal, normally invisible on the door glowing ominously, sending waves of cold air to the surroundings. Now why would they block the entrance? Just as he was about to open his mouth, the door creaked open.

An eerie feeling, almost as if ice flowed along the very floor kissed their cheeks as a figure made itself visible in front of their eyes. The tall lean demoness came floating towards them, the dark aura fluttering in her wake before swirling around her as she set her attention at the three.

"Is it time for breakfast already?"

The voice toned with madness slowly evaporated when she approached, the dark shadow retreating from her to dissolve into specks of black dust. Her body grew smaller, looking less threatening as she retained her usual form. The atmosphere instantly lifted a few degrees to their delight, for it was almost getting unbearable here.

"Diabla." Royal Guard bowed before continuing.

"Breakfast is waiting in the hall, I shall escort you and Demonio down there."

He quickly recovered from the initial shock, proceeding to peer behind the girl to find her partner who did not follow her out.

"Where is Demonio?" Chiliarch asked with a raised eyebrow.

Diabla turned towards her counter-part, setting the dark stars on the white ones. They seemed to hold a grudge against each other, rather a mistrust for the latter would never have believed that the other was a Lu from her aura. Seeing her original form proved it all, but the terror lord never thought this was how she would retain her throne, at the price of Ciel's humanity. Chiliarch glanced up at Dreadlord now, just to make sure he was still him, the Ciel she knew and no one else. As if sensing her worries, he gave her a reassuring grin to say that everything was going to be fine. Looking back down, she couldn't help but feel slightly sympathetic for Demonio for having to deal with such a burden, yet it was a path he chose so there was nothing she could say about it.

"He'll be along." Diabla replied loftily.

Right on cue, a disheveled looking Demonio came shuffling out of the mysterious room with hair all over the place. It was now that Royal Guard realised he was feeling a more soulless aura than before, and he thought it was his eyes deceiving him when he looked up to find both his long haired counter-part's eyes to have completely black scleras. This meant that he, like his master, had just been in their manic demon forms,despite it not being his business when they transcended but he couldn't help but wonder why. Besides, why did they seal the door?

Sensing their attention, the entity of death brushed his hair towards the left with his darkened claw. He murmured a barely audible "good morning" as he made his way to join his master, signifying that they could finally move to the dining room. Ignoring all the questions bustling around his mind, Royal Guard inclined his head slightly before leading them downstairs, Chiliarch and Dreadlord following close behind him.

Out of earshot of the others, Diabla glanced at her partner with a worried expression.

"Ciel are you okay?"

"Never been better." Demonio muttered tiredly in response.

He was tired, in fact tired wouldn't even cover half of it. Also his right eye remaining completely black meant that madness was still pulsing through him, all he could do and concentrate on now was forcing it deep down. Why his master insisted on them using their madness forms to complete the task he did not know but now he wished it hadn't, because feeling this much pain before it was even breakfast honestly did not give the day a bright start.

Despite this, the thought of it all being for Christmas sent a smile to his mind.

Noblesse sat waiting at the main chair with one hand holding a long parchment the other forever holding her white teacup. When they finally entered, she looked up with no definite expression before slowly lifting the edges of her mouth. Gesturing for them to sit down, she directed her attention to her butler first.

"Ciel."

"Yes?" Came three voices.

Dreadlord stared at her with half a piece of bacon hanging out of his mouth, Demonio had his hand in mid-air holding the milk jug, Royal Guard inclined his head waiting for orders.

Her eyes widened a bit, bringing a hand to his mouth to fake a cough as she certainly hadn't expected _this_ reaction.

"Do serve breakfast please, show our guests the best we can offer."

* * *

 **To be continued...**

 **Think of this as a teaser, as my mind is clearly not in the state..ah..ah..achoo!**

 **I promise the portal will last longer at the beginning of a new year.**

 **I will show you a sweet dream the next night~**

 ** _Sendo Erika 25 .12.2016_**


	7. Christmas OVA 2

**Isn't the snow pretty tonight?  
**

 **Well, our three duos certainly think so.  
For tonight is the start of their annual festivities. Alright~ I want spoil anymore, go on and enjoy it for yourselves.**

 **It is quite cold where I am now, thankfully the portal can keep itself warm. Nevertheless, remember to keep warm and away from the doctor~**

 **An unknown dimension has revealed itself, care to join me in its rifts?**

 ** _Moonlight Memories_**

Christmas Special OVA 2:

 _Date: December 25th  
_

"Do serve breakfast please, show our guests the best we can offer."

Thankfully, breakfast had ended like that without too much of a fuss. A knock at the door drew Royal Guard back to the present as Dreadlord appeared beside him, stretching his taught muscles while yawning to signify his weariness.

"Good morning" he said in a tired voice, rubbing his eyes before peering at what exactly his counter-part for preparing for their meal.

"Good morning Dreadlord." Royal Guard replied politely just as the kettle started to scream.

They exchanged a few more greetings until the blue-haired man insisted he had to serve breakfast, which the white haired assassin offered to help. When they reached the dining hall, Royal Guard had to admit he was slightly surprised to see everyone there. Noblesse sat at the Master's seat located on the end of the table, Chiliarch was perched to her right with another empty seat reserved for Dreadlord next to her. Diabla and Demonio were located to the left, quietly drinking a cup of milk as he moved around placing a well decorated plate in front of everyone. With a nod of gratitude from his master, Royal Guard sat down in his seat directly opposite her as everyone dug in eagerly.

"Merry Christmas all, I hope you all enjoy the beginning of our annual festival, but do not forget to carefully plan out each event."

It was a tradition in Abaddon where the Overlord organises events to go on for a week beginning on Christmas all the way to New Year. This of course was no small task, the reason why Noblesse had invited the two other duos to their dimension this year and help out. They had each agreed to plan for two days, with the first and last day being a combination. In order to keep things more interesting the events all remained a mystery to all the people including each other.

When the Queen had first announced this, Chiliarch and Diabla being the least mature of all the Lus had tried to peak at what each other with doing, only ending when Demonio and Dreadlord apologizing to each other while dragging their clawing masters back to their own corner. So December had went by like that, having meals together and then planning for the Abbadon Festival. Occasionally, they would go out to have a tour of the place, to get familiar with its people and traditions. The terror lord had taken a great liking to the local pub while his master ran around the streets playing with the kids. The elegant queen had laughed at the sight as she and her guard sipped tea in their favorite coffee shop. The insane lady on the other hand stared unblinkingly at the sweet shop which the entity of death had cleverly led her inside.

Noblesse smiled at everyone, producing a ball of light blue flame out of nowhere to let it float to the middle of the table. Diabla created a much darker flame to join the floating orb, indicating for Demonio to do the same. Dreadlord followed suite, materialising a sea blue light that completed the symbol as Chiliarch did the same. With all three energies combined, the flare flashed then formed the star shaped symbol, one they all bore.

"This festival will be a success!"

* * *

Demonio pulled uncomfortably at the collar of his tuxedo, carefully hiding his expression so that the others standing beside him wouldn't notice. He had become so used to his normal attire any clothing without a face mask made him feel uneasy, it didn't help when he preferred to conceal his identity. Besides, losing his emotions made it hard for him to display any kind of expression whenever someone expected a reaction so having something to cover his face saved him of that trouble. He mentally sighed again before trying his very best to lift the edges of his stiff mouth, producing a smile which Diabla happened to catch.

"That looks better, I bet everyone will rush to you for a dance." she chimed, sending one of her own smiles back at him.

The butler turned towards his master, a gust of wind sending his overgrown fringe out of his face to reveal the darkened sclera.

Diabla's smile waned into a slight frown when she saw this, quickly brushing his hair back into place and straightening his tie.

"You would scare them off if you reveal your eye." she reminded him.

Demonio was about to reply but a light cough sounded towards the right. The manic duo quickly neatened themselves and faced the crowd that gathered below them. The moon was especially bright tonight, serving as a great start to Chiliarch and Dreadlord on the other side of Noblesse and Royal Guard also did the same.

For now, was the moment.

"Greetings my guests, I am delighted by your presence in the Castle of Abbadon tonight. First, let me bid you a merry Christmas. I hope you have prepared yourselves for a whole week of events specially planned by our special visitors and myself. The best chefs of our continent have gathered here, so dig in and enjoy yourselves tonight.

 **"Let the Abaddon Festival Begin!"**

Cheers erupted from the crowd, already too excited for the events to follow. Plates of gourmet revealed themselves, cleverly laid out on the tables to lure the people in. Drinks were lined on the sides, sparkling under the spotlights becoming even more mysterious by the minute. Even more stalls appeared further along the pathway with its owners yelling enthusiastically to catch the attention of the ongoers. Noblesse, after announcing the beginning of the feast, had already bustled off with Royal Guard behind her to greet the various lords and ladies that have arrived. This left Chiliarch, Dreadlord, Diabla and Demonio to join in the party to keep everything at bay.

The four now stood at the high balcony where Noblesse had spoke, seemingly unsure of what to do next. After looking at each other, Chiliarch was the first to break the silence. Clinging onto Demonio's arm, she glanced at her bewildered partner standing next to the demoness who raised a brow.

"Its Christmas and we all need a break anyway, so why not try something fun? I will go around with Demonio, Dreadlord you can go with Diabla~"

Chiliarch sent a wink at Diabla out of sight at the two butlers, receiving a smile in return. The terror lord looked at the backs of the two trailing away, still feeling bewildered but turned his attention to the manic queen beside him. Before he could speak however, she cut in.

"Well, let's go."

They set of in silence down the left path, gazing in awe at everything that managed to gather on the sides.

"You know Dreadlord,"

The man bit into another takoyaki when the girl eating an icecream called for his attention. When he turned around however, he couldn't see her anywhere. Spinning around, he turned his handsome face left to right to no avail, various people brushed passed him as he began to search for her but none of them his target. Suddenly, a great pull teetered him towards the left behind a particularly tall stall. His right hand already pulled out his gunblade, bewildered yet already on guard. A light chuckle sounded behind him, sending him wheeling around to confront his attacker, only to find himself staring at Diabla. In an instant, her form swirled in shadows right before his very eyes. Chains reached out from the demoness towards him which he quickly realised as Death Touch, unable to dodge he struggled closing his eyes in despair. There was only one question in his mind as he felt like an insect caught in a spider's web.

Why?

"No need to look so scared. You are the terror lord, not me."

Dreadlord blinked, and blinked again. Then he repeated the action yet again, just to see whether this was a dream or reality. Diabla was in her original form, projecting a dazzling smile deprived of madness at him. The chains around him had vanquished, and if anything he felt nothing wrong.

"What?..." he spluttered.

"Come on."

She grabbed his hand and ran, returning to the main path. As they walked hand in hand, Dreadlord couldn't help but feel slightly clumsy. Looking down at himself, he of course saw the dark suit Chiliarch had insisted he wore for the affair. Just as he lifted his head, a fluffy weight fell sideways into his arms. It turns out that he wasn't the only one walking in an uncomfortable manner as the "fluffy" thing that fell into his embrace was none other than Diabla. Now that was not the funny bit, as no matter how hard he stared, Dreadlord could not make out just why her clothing felt fluffy and furry. She was in her normal madness attire, that dark blue layered dress with two spiked curls up around the neck. If anything it should feel soft or spikey, not fluffy.

"Stop staring." She turned her eyes away, cheeks slightly dotted red as she stood back up.

"Diabla, why did you transform anyway?" He asked uncomprehendingly, quickly breaking the awkward silence.

She remained silent, but a smug grin replaced the blush.

He mentally shrugged, not bothering to ask why her clothing felt furry either registering that as his senses playing tricks on him. They kept walking after brushing that aside, greeting the various stalls and guests, but another thing caught his attention. Everyone seemed to be giving them interested looks god knows why, the feeling got even more peculiar until a group of kids rushed up to him.

"Can I have a photo with Rudolf?" One asked excitedly.

Rudolf? That red-nosed reindeer?

Dreadlord turned around with raised eyebrows, looking for the unfortunate man who had to wear the costume. Strangely enough, he didn't see the unfortunate man who had to play the clown. How glad he was it wasn't his role as being an underworld lord did not go well with children or playing reindeers and such. He did have a soft spot for cute things, but being the thing was not on his hobby list, in fact it was next to the first on his list of hated things.

He was just about to send his prayers for the poor man who had to wear the funny costume until he felt a nudge on his right arm. Diabla was giving him that strange smile again, her canines were unusually sharp looking even more cunning by the minute. With a click of her fingers a gust of wind washed over both Diabla and Dreadlord, revealing a sight that the man would definitely confess he was part of.

While he had been daydreaming, the kids had already been snapping cameras at him, Diabla also gladly helped them take a picture of him standing with the child.

And now, he realised why.

Covered from head to toe in a mustard colour, he certainly felt furry himself. Peering at his hands, he honestly hoped his eyes were deceiving him as they two were mustard ending with black hooves.

"Don't tell me..." He whispered disbelievingly.

Diabla shone a entrancing smile.

"You guessed it~"

Sure enough, when his hands recovered from the shock they moved up to his head, feeling antlers reaching high up into the sky. No wonder his nose felt a bit itchy, a red nose had plonked itself where it should be. She was laughing out loud now while taking a few more photos for and with the children.

"Thank you Frosty and Rudolf!" the kids cheered before running to their parents.

Diabla waved before turning back to Dreadlord, still having that expression that was increasingly getting on his edge. It was now he saw that she was dressed a plump white suit representing a snowman with a bucket hat and carrot nose and everything a typical snowman would have. So that was why it felt furry.

He opened his mouth to ask, but she raised a hand.

"You asked why I transcended. Well, its easier to act fast and restrain you while I put the costume on."

Dreadlord rolled his eyes, this was definitely not something he would expect a madness consumed lady to do, so it was probably not her idea.

"Chiliarch?" he asked with a slight sneer in his tone.

She nodded, chuckling again as they continued to walk on. Despite the sudden surprise, Dreadlord had to admit this made everything even more interesting. Before he met Lu, he never had time to celebrate Christmas or New Year as too him it was just another day he would kill and earn some coin for a decent meal. Funny how meeting someone can change everything, now he laughed along with Diabla who pulled a funny face earning giggles from the crowd of children. He joined in too, prancing and dancing like a real reindeer only to hear various shouts of "Can I have a ride?!" and such.

When the crowd finally subsided a little, they were both a bit tired. Just then, snow started to drift down to Abaddon eager to carry out its own Christmas party with the demons. Fireworks also sounded up high in the sky, casting glows of different colours in the dark velvet. This was the highlight of the party tonight, also one to signify the beginning of more to come.

"Merry Christmas Dreadlord~"

A smile, innocent like the first Lu he met.

He grinned too.

"Merry Christmas Diabla."

* * *

 **To be continued...**

 **Happy New Year my guests~  
As you can probably guess, this is not the end of Lu and Ciel's celebrations.  
Forgive me for my awkward crafting skills, I will separate the memories and spread them throughout January.**

 **Stay with your families, go out and have some fun! Forget all the bad memories, and embrace a bright future~ OwO/**

 **I will show you a sweet dream the next night~**

 ** _Sendo Erika 31 .12.2016_**


	8. Chapter 6

**Welcome back!  
**

 **Rather, is that what you were going to say to me? I give me deepest apologies for not crafting until now.  
Hmm? What have I been doing?  
Glave has been chasing on my tail, and Add has kindly invited me to his Energy Fusion Theory.  
Let us kindly put that aside, and move on shall we?  
On a note this will seem quite brief, but I shall definitely make the next much more worthwhile~  
**

 **A new light has appeared, join me as we unravel its mysteries~  
**

 ** _Moonlight Memories_**

Chapter 6:

"I-I thought you would be happy..if-if you saw it."

The small being shook from head to toe, utterly terrified of the situation it so unluckily got stuck in. How was he supposed to know that _he,_ out of everyone of his kind who was hunting for food, would happen to meet demons? Not one, but two. Just why? He was by no means a bad phoru, at least he wouldn't admit even if he was, the most he ever did was steal a couple of apples out of a villager's basket. In fact, that particular lady had realised his actions and gave him a few more due to his cute appearance to which he took too much pride in. Now that definitely did not earn him _this_ punishment. Yes, he will treat this mess as repayment for his sins, so he secretly prayed to the El Lady to give him a second chance.

What the small phoru didn't know, was that the demon currently grasping him between his long clawed fingers had no intention to harm him whatsoever. What that demon didn't know, was that the sharp ends of his singed claws were actually sinking into the creatures soft flesh. Demonio himself was as nervous as the phoru he held captive, both staring at Noblesse to see what her reaction would be. In order to cover up the fact he couldn't see anything at the moment, he had quickly worked out he needed something to divert her attention. The only thing that happened to be available was a very cute phoru who had crossed his legs hurriedly, then halting in shock as it realised it had been seen.

Noblesse on the receiving end of the present was lost for words. She had always known that Ciel had this incredible soft spot for cute things, but she would have never thought it would one day affect his better judgement. Awkwardly, she brought an uncertain hand up to her half open mouth and managed a rather too-fake cough. The two huffs of breath had just left her mouth before she regained her composure and presented to the butler a gentle smile. Quite hard she concluded, trying desperately to keep her the curl from making itself too obvious on her lips.

"Why thank you Ciel, I really do appreciate this...quite unexpected surprise. Though~ I think we should probably set it free..."

Upon finishing her sentence, the mistress relieved the fear struck phoru from its captive and placed it gingerly on the floor, giving it a little pat on the back to urge it onwards. The little creature was only too happy to oblige, it tottered on its chibi feet heading towards the bush before disappearing in the tangle of twigs. Noblesse straightened herself, stretching her slightly taut muscles as she did, before addressing her partner whos gaze trailed after the long gone unexpected present.

A chill circled his heart and raced down his spine right to the tips of his whole body as time seemed to decide to take a moments breath. That gaze, it was that look again that she gave him that was making him feel the human emotion "uneasiness" now yet again. Demonio still could not quite understand how to deal with this queasy "uneasiness" feeling, and from his view Noblesse seemed to have no intention of teaching him any time soon. So, he resolved to continuing his unwavering stare at the disturbed bushes, taking ever so slight glimpses at her out of the corner of his eyes.

"Ciel."

He made a well concealed, but unmistakable flinch. Of course, the knacks of being a skilled assassin allowed that to pass unnoticed under her eyes. That unbeknownst to the dear butler however, thoughts such as "did she see" or "oh dear what do I do" and even "will she kill me" started to find its way to his mind, toying with it until he almost gave in and told the truth just to escape the constant nagging. It was now, that Noblesse spoke.

"Are you hiding something?"

The man feigned an innocent stare, trying to look without guilt into those bright, light blue orbs. It was like looking at starlight, so dazzling, dancing about in the darkness. In fact, they bore themselves deep down into his core so that he felt light, too bright dawning on his soul. Before, it would not have hurt, it would have been a blessing, a calm soothing sensation that would wash over. Now, being the deathbringer caused the judgement ray to singe his insides, tearing so savagely at him until the well protected soft flesh inside was left utterly bare. No, no...get out...don't touch me...No! A snowy wolf, bright as the moon made its form clear in the darkness. It seemed to ponder, until it nudged at the very centre of the nothingness.

And Demonio, screamed.

* * *

 _ **"Dear Master,  
**_

 _ **I hope you are well, but then again I have no doubt you can take care of yourself perfectly well even without my company. This is a thought that leaves me relieved, and yet somewhat depressed. Why, you ask? Relieved, because you will still be the same as you always were, my majestic master which I would never cease to serve. Depressed, because I cannot stop myself lingering on the fact whether this is the reason I am here.**_

 _ **Alone.**_

 _ **Forgive me, where are my manners. I am fairing well, to say the most. Yes, I constantly maintain a full stomach, am decent in dressing, and could not be more flattered in being able to access the kitchen where all the familiar spices are placed just where they should be. Meals automatically appear on that very same table with the white cloth placed delicately on its surface, my most desired ones too as it turns out. Laid out carefully in an elegant fashion, my eagerness to meet such a man who seems to demonstrate very similar cuisine skills to me has grown increasingly fast. Not only so, if I do ever find the energy to enter the kitchen myself nowadays, as the need has left me quite easily recently, meals would never appear readily prepared for me to dine at that table. Bearing this interest, it also comes to my attention that my clothes remain in an everlasting ironed state. No creases would appear on its velvet although I have not laid a single hand on the clothes iron.  
**_

 _ **As you can see, I am trying my very best to take my stand in this illusion. However, what could I desire more than company?**_

 _ **Lu...please..."**_

 _ **He couldn't finish it.**_

 _ **The quill paused in mid-air, with the hand wrapped around it trembling by the smallest of amplitudes. The blue haired man eventually took the intuitive to place the object in his shivering grasp, which was about to drip ink onto the parchment, down in its perch before it ruined everything he had to say. He glared at it, the words as if sensing his tentative gaze shimmering in terror under the dim chandelier.  
**_

 _ **A few days had passed since our last encounter with dear Royal Guard, and his situation could only be said to be heading in a downwards state. He decided to stay in bed this morning, not even bothering to brush his unkempt blue hair out of his view. The once healthy, handsome face now looked grim, lifeless with the cheeks sunken and eyes dull, not registering really anything they saw. The parchment in his hand had not shown their concern to him, no words had awaited his further attention since the last time he brought up the energy to blast the door once more. This came as quite a depressing note to him, leading ultimately to him not even bothering to leave bed except for when his stomach demanded food or when his body called for needs to go to the bathroom.  
**_

 _ **He would admit that he hesitated for quite a while before picking up the quill, for this letter demonstrated too much of his fear, too weak to be considered the butler of such a brave monarch. His mind tormented him with many petrifying thoughts, bombarding his mind day and night until he almost could not bear all of it. He tried to recall more happier times, where he would follow his master around as they went about their usual business. His mind had done quite a good job however, at carrying out his intention of creating a false impression that he was rather enjoying his time. Not wanting her to worry, he tried to keep his tone casual.  
**_

 _ **None of his own calm words however, did much to piece back together his deteriorating mind.**_

 _ **The man started, evidently drawn forcefully out of his own thoughts. Royal Guard's hands fumbled with the mischievous parchment that danced out of his tight grasp as he hoisted his body upright with all his might. The black ink were now glistening a bright blue, the sign that magic was being used. Letters, carefully pealed themselves away from the brown page before dissolving into blue dust, disappearing into thin air. It was a beautiful sight he had to admit, the specks dancing about until a few managed to tame its joy and settle down back on the page. As he peered intently as the slowly forming words, a hot trickle of wetness cascading down his cheek, more following its wake when the words finally formed a decent reply.**_

 _"Ciel...I..."  
_

 _"I am sorry."_

* * *

 **To be continued...**

 **Royal Guard is not in a lively mood, so I express my deepest regrets for letting my guests go on without cookies tonight.  
As many of you are probably wondering, I will be putting the crafting of the Christmas Specials on hiatus for the time being,  
my specific tools for that have decided quite conveniently to backfire on me.  
**

 **I give my gratitude to Ana Paula, Suzuran, DeathByLechee, Demonfoxx42, Kashizu, Lucretia-Herschell and lily0217 for joining my journey.  
Your company and words have given me the strength to continue.  
**

 **Well, our tour ends here for tonight. Please do leave a few thoughts before you leave the dimension portal, that will help me enhance my crafting skills OwO  
**

 **I will show you a sweet dream the next night~**

 ** _Sendo Erika 21.04.2017_**


	9. Chapter 7

**Welcome to the next dimension portal, please be my guest and make yourselves at home.  
If you do not mind, I have tried a bit of baking myself, would you be so kind to try them?  
No...that is not why my hands are covered in burnt marks...actually it is.  
Hehe, how did you guess?**

 **Let us thank another guest that shall be joining our memory soon, take a guess at who it might be.**

 **The dices of time have begun to roll, shall we take a look at the outcome?**

 ** _Moonlight Memories_**

Chapter 7:

 _"Where are we?"_

 _"If I knew, we wouldn't be here anymore."_

 _Dreadlord was pissed. In fact, being pissy would not even cover half of what he was feeling now, for they have been wandering in this God forsaken place for heaven knows how long. His face covered in sweat and muck, pain still raged through him from landing on his back in an attempt to cushion his mistress from the fall. They must be several feet underground, but then again they have no way of telling as it was pitch dark, except for the small blue flame now held in his hand. Just in case she made the same error that had caused all of this, he had decided to take the intuitive and not trust Chiliarch with such things. Reasonable? He thought so._

 _On the other hand, Chiliarch was not as agreeing with that as we probably would be. What now bothered her happened to be the fact why her butler was in charge even though she had more authority. Though, of course she did not consider the well known fact Dreadlord was much more sensible than she was, even if she knew she would not have admitted it anyway. Her small hands wound up in a fist, she stomped along behind the man in a foul mood while trying to make her huffs and puffs as audible as possible so as to frustrate him even more. To her delight, the half demon was fast becoming a bitter man, and she concluded with a childish grin that his constant grunts of irritation could only be said to be a punishment for not trusting his completely capable master._

 _Trying desperately to ignore his immature partner, Dreadlord lifted his hand further in front of his already weary body to light the seemingly endless path ahead, wincing yet again as one particular muscle complained at the action. His demon instincts were already doing their best to assist its caster, radiating out from his centre form in a circle seven metres away. Another sigh left his mouth, his demon instincts were not helping as there was nothing to be detected except rocky ground, rocky ceiling, and rocky walls. Assassin instincts told him to immediately dismiss this useless skill to save energy for battle if they do encounter danger, his brain was quite likely to oblige to this thought if he did not feel this constant uneasiness never waning nor increasing. All Dreadlord's skill did agree on one bit however- there was definitely something afoot, and Chilarch was being a typical spoiled brat, so much that even him with all patience felt it difficult to suppress the urge of turning around to scream at her._

 _"Ciel~"_

 _The man was about to turn around, planning on telling the small girl off for her quite inappropriate behavior, he was trying to save their tails and her continuous whining were of no use whatsoever so stop it, until he noticed it._

 _They were nearing a door, one made of a material very unlike its surroundings, his brows knitted close as he focused the roaming demon instincts to the path ahead. Marble? No no, something more. Is this...?_

 _All motion came to a sudden halt, the butler made sure his mistress was close behind him, groping behind to find her hood as for some reason she had her back to him. A swirl of energy circled his right hand, controlled ever so carefully so as to not create a sudden disturbance. The waves writhed, curling themselves to form the unique outline of his most prized weapon. In a matter of seconds, his right gunblade was held protectively at his side, ready for the slightest sign of danger._

 _Unless his eyes were playing petty tricks on him, Dreadlord was sure that this door in front of them comprised of the same energy that accompanied that man wearing a half shattered mask. His memory could only trace once where he had encountered this aura, that did not end well at all, and that was when the whole El Search Party had been at its disposal. If this were to open now, when both Lu and him were deprived of energy not to mention focus, he came to the dreadful conclusion that Chiliarch and Dreadlord would become mere legends lost in the endless rifts of Henir's Time and Space._

 _"Ciel."_

 _Her voice had become much smaller now, little more than a whisper. She too was occupied with worries of her own, this time not about how to annoy her partner of course, but rather how to deal with the sweeping wave of darkness that had shadowed their footsteps ever since the centre of Ciel's instinct concentrated on the path ahead. Thank you Ciel, quite useful to not tell me you were going to look further ahead Chiliarch thought irritably. She had not yet told her butler that Demon Instincts had another ability apart from detecting the area around them, it proved to be an almost impenetrable shield if one could learn to use it to its full extent. Her own energy had conveniently been drained by a large degree during this long walk, evident when she felt drawing the very last drops of magic becoming increasingly difficult. Nevertheless, her instincts still managed to maintain a radius of ten metres, quarter her usual size but that will have to do for now._

 _The only reason the demon lady had not forced her butler to improve his ability to wield his instincts, was fear. Whenever they came back from a mission, seeing Dreadlord covered with cuts and bruises here and there played a hypnotising tune to her, strengthened by the frustration with herself for not aiding him well enough. Quite often, her thoughts were close to leaving fluently from her mouth into his keen ears, which would lead to him pushing himself to the limits just to please her. She did not want that, she did not want the man who had given her his hand when she craved for a being that understood her to fully become a demon, a being almost always associated with bad connotations. Dreadlord deserved more than that, Chiliarch wanted him to stay as he ever was by her side._

 _That being the case, she will admit she was not entirely in favor of him right now. Her Demon Instincts had managed to keep the wave of darkness at bay, very well as it turns out they were actually retreating. Another few more minutes granted, then the duo would be free of their company, ideally._ _What she did not foresee was that he had snatched at her hood with a sharpness a butler would never demonstrate to his master. Now that went too far, just way too far. A full days worth of walking not to mention an empty stomach spurred the hissing rage within to greater heights, yet as the lady of terror was about to explode, she sensed something that made her blood run cold._

 _Chiliarch loved the times when they would go on a trip together, the reason being the warmth that would sneak along their held hands into her heart and surely into his as well. The warmth of his rough but gentle palm, the feeling of their fingers entwined, this was what made her so certain, so brave whenever they faced trouble time and time again._

 _"Ciel...?"_

 _All frustration forgotten, the small girl thrust everything aside to turn to her partner. Being normally the ones who installed fear in another being, it was a long since experienced sensation that radiated from him now. She did not like it one bit, what was more the feeling now melded with her too, slithering eagerly along her guard that slipped in that split second._

 _Because Dreadlord, the lord of terror so feared on the battlefield, was grasping her hood with trembling hands._

* * *

It was rather like playing a game, hide-and-seek more specifically, where Noblesse played the role of the hunter desperately trying to find Demonio's deepest secrets. Not as if he had many of course, having the mind of an innocent child reduced him to not tell his mistress the most insignificant of things if any, such as him adding one extra teaspoon of sugar in her tea this morning or he may or may not have accidentally sneezed in her direction without covering his mouth.

That was what Noblesse originally thought.

A curl lingered on the edges of her mouth, tugging at them playfully so that she could not resist displaying a smile. She was absolutely certain that the man standing in front of her now trying his best to look like an innocent puppy, which obviously was not having an effect otherwise she would have let if passed unnoticed, was hiding something more serious than mere matters of incidentally brushing his coat against her dress. This was a good sign, Demonio clearly retained some of his instincts or what others would define in this case as "common sense", to not spill the beans whenever she asked him for it. Nevertheless, she thought guiltily, she would like to know what exactly he was hiding because so far he had proved to only keep things from her should he determine them to bother her mind in the slightest of ways.

Mentally making a silent apology, Noblesse willed her soul to flurry while summoning a thin ray of light from within the endless swirls of power. She gazed intently into his dark orbs, careful not to break eye contact even if he was showing signs of discomfort. The thin beam of light made its way with great difficulty to her tips, pacing to and fro in order to find a way past the great barrier that posed as an obstacle. A slight frown furrowed her brows, said so called "child" clearly had Demon Instincts that could rival her own, in fact to her surprise and concern, the shield did its job too well in causing all her attempts to ricochet as if they were gentle nudges.

Noblesse, hailed mistress to the Castle of Abbadon, was well known for her deadly calm even in the worst of situations. The way she would direct her fingers towards the servant in command of something so simple, seeming so out of place still with that elegant manner always put most in wonder. It was with these intelligent directions however, that her followers find themselves sipping tea with her in the courtyard while their enemies were stumbling painfully on their own tails. By no means a rash thinker, she was one that calculated each step with cunning, never putting too much at risk. If we were to guess her actions now, the rational choice would be her retreating from Demonio's mind as continuing onwards may lead to a losing battle.

Demonio however, chose at this very moment to disagree by letting out a pained howl that echoed around the misty trees.

And it turns out we are very wrong.

She immediately retreated from her astral form, a force field sending her tumbling back into her own mind like an uninvited guest. Hands immediately shot out to grasp the fragile head, intending with enormous effort to piece the wounded insides together. Her legs were almost crumbling beneath her, so weak like lead, so shaken from the impact they did not respond to her commands to stand straight. Breath still crumbling out in rags, she forcefully slammed her mind's eye shut before its vision dyed completely scarlet.

Her victim was not fairing any better, the blast had sent him backwards even further almost knocking him off his feet. Unbearable pain erupted inside his brain which, to no avail, tried to stop itself from spinning on the spot. Like Noblesse, Demonio clutched at his head, clawing at the soft white hair with his sharp, darkened fingers. Unlike his mistress, the butler's legs found it easier to just give way without a fight, letting its owner fall to the harsh ground with a sickening crash. Knees instinctively folded themselves close to his heavily heaving chest, even breathing became a problem as the body acted on the unvoiced command to shrink away from whatever caused all this pain. Like a wounded puppy, the man curled into a ball still trembling feebly accompanied by barely audible moans.

At long last when she felt words could be made into a complete sentence, Noblesse finally regained a firm grip on herself and decided gratefully not to let go of it anymore. With renewed haste, she quickly made her way towards her fallen companion still writhing and twitching on the ground. How could she have done this? Terror overwrote all other emotions in her heart, bringing up the realisation that she was foolish, too foolish to have pushed so far into his fragile mind. She should have known, the light would only have hurt his soul and yet...Pushing aside these thoughts, she decided that bringing Demonio back on his feet was the most important matter at hand.

The guilt however, still slithered slyly along her as she moved closer.

He had stopped moving all together now, if it weren't for his barely noticeable winces she would have been ready to assume the worst. Perhaps it was the anticipation, the fear, the guilt all building upon one another that caused her heart to pound faster, speeding along her thoughts that reached a conclusion that something wrong, terribly wrong was going to happen. Noblesse trusted her instincts, they have only failed her on the rarest of occasions, usually in situations where choice did not make that much of a difference. Even so she edged closer, willing her muscles to move her right hand closer, closer still to his shoulders.

Then.

It was as if time took pity on the demoness, taking care to move at a slower pace so as to increase the given reaction time. For what happened next, as her brain will soon catch up to, took place in a split second that it was practically impossible.

Demonio's blade, dark and sharp like an extension of his claws, had clashed with a still half formed spectral spear.

"Wha-"

But the words had not left her mouth before another experienced twirl of his blade sent it crashing with intense force down on her own weapon once more. The light blue spear just, just managed to make its way protectively above the head to stop the oncoming offense.

As time stopped at exactly this scene, Noblesse's mind was blessed with the opportunity of processing the events that whizzed past its grasp with no return. His gunblade had recoulored itself pitch black, losing its function to act as a long ranged weapon in the process. As if to play a game of matching up, the hand grasping the sword had tainted itself in the same colour, only up to the body however, his light blue shirt lined with black stripes were still invisible. That came as a relief, but as her eyes traveled further upwards, it came to her that his fringe had conveniently lifted itself from his face in the motion, revealing that both his eyes were pitch black.

Like eternal abyss, where salvation was merely a distant dream.

Words alone were not enough to express how Noblesse felt now. Sadness? Guilt? Perhaps regret for her actions, for pushing him this far that he had transcended half way into darkness. It occurred to her that it had happened so quickly as well, as if, as if his body was too well accustomed to doing so. Another one of her heart strings twang, signifying her counters of confidence had yet again let another one slip. A feeling of doubt tugged at her insides.

Was her choice of crossing dimensions to Demonio, actually giving him a chance to return? To regain what he had lost, to become what he had sought?

For the first time since her arrival, she found, surprisingly, that she was unsure of the answer.

As emotions got the better of her mind, she did not realise that her clutch on her spear had slackened. If he had applied more force, just enough to lift a little finger, the blade would have sliced clean through. In fact it would have done so, the sword already laced with murderous intent ready to bring the onslaught. Not before hesitation, as the silent tears that Noblesse had failed to acknowledge made themselves visible on her pale white cheeks. The warmth drew some part of her back to reality, and she blinked. Then blinked once more to hide it all with no success, the image of the entity of death in her eyes became distorted, blotched here and there as more tears welled in her eyes.

Much to her own surprise, the elegant monarch could only close her eyes as another wave of emotions singed on the inside. Wrong wrong thing to do, especially in front of a madness consumed demon who could not, and would not, be limited to moral restraints. He however, had other things planned instead of plunging his weapon to reap her soul. A clatter, the sound of something metallic falling to the floor. A tender feeling brushed against her eyelids, trailing the trickle of saltiness with it so they would not irritate her anymore.

Bright orbs met with his when courage willed itself into her soul once more, filled with the element of surprise and sorrow. Demonio had let his blade fall to the floor, black whisps of dust retreating from it as it once again resumed the form of a shorter gunblade. The silhouette of his arm also evaporated, leaving once again the black sleeves to be visible, accompanied by flesh coloured hands.

And his eyes.

Noblesse never thought she would be so happy to see the odd eyes again, one bright one dark. Not what she preferred when compared to normal ones of course, but definitely better than those that only radiated pure murderous intent. The butler lifted the edges of his thin lips to form a smile that would reassure her, achieving his goal as she replied with a shaky smile of her own. Well formed words left his mouth, only to be received by her ears as incoherent mumbling. The latter's smile waned, morphing into one of concern when the weight fell onto her arms, almost setting her off balance.

She did not know how she found the strength to move them back to the Castle of Abbadon, let alone how she still felt that Demonio needed her. The truth was that he did, and he decided to voice it while being unconscious in his bed just as Noblesse left through the bedroom door oblivious to his call. Not long after, she found herself in her own room, sinking into the soft white duvet as thoughts failed to trouble her further. Lost in an uneasy drowse, her body instinctively curled into a small ball. The last sensible thought happened to be that Lanox would have to wait for later, both of them not in a state to wake up anytime soon.

Unbeknownst to them as Elrios bid their consciousness to sleep, flickers of emotion traveled down the invisible contract between them. They of course would be ignored for now, but as the unsaid words revealed themselves to a closed mind, it read over and over the same thoughts.

 _"Lu...are you alright? I'm fine...so please don't take back your hand..."_

 _"Have I gone to far? Ciel...will you still let me in?"_

* * *

 **To be continued...**

 **I really enjoy crafting memories regarding dear Dreadlord and Chiliarch,  
though they probably are not enjoying the fact I have put them in quite a tight situation.  
I have been receiving quite a few comments on the previous memory being a bit depressing, and I sincerely apologise for making it so.  
However, the sun rises to a new dawn everyday, take it as a hint that our journey will have an happy ending.**

 **Perhaps.  
**

 **Thank you for joining me tonight, your company is what I desire.  
Just before you leave through the dimension portal, spare me a moment of thought, throw some of your comments to me.  
Your words are what allows me to improve my crafting skills OwO/~**

 **I will show you a sweet dream the next night~**

 ** _Sendo Erika 28.04.2017_**


	10. Chapter 8

**A bit early for the dimension portal to open now, but I suppose I shall put that in the blame of fate.  
Excited for an early memory?  
Hehe I hope so.  
This one would be exploring a earlier one, as I have not been able to craft anything further  
I will explain later~  
**

 **Before the dimension portal consumes this all, shall we venture to its depths?~**

 ** _Moonlight Memories_**

Chapter 8

He found himself opening his eyes groggy the next morning while his mind purred its approval at his long awaited awakening.

Strong palms met the soft bed to hoist the owner upright, the latter groaning a playful protest received by demonic ears as creaks here and there. Long strands of white hair trailed down either side of his cheeks, sticking in every which direction to signify the lack of care or rather the need for a bit of cleaning. This having caught his attention, Demonio dipped his head downwards, catching sight of the usual black long overcoat draped over a lined dark blue shirt. His legs were still clad in matching trousers, the chains beside it clinking in harmony as his feet placed themselves gingerly onto the velvet carpet. The thought of lying in bed in his combat attire hardly bothered the man, not that he did not care much for hygiene but instead the fact that sleep was not necessary to him signified there was no need in changing into anything more comfortable.

She however, had almost polar opinions on the subject.

It all began when he bid Noblesse a good morning one particular bright day, where the mistress had lifted her head elegantly upwards only to let a small frown mask her features. It so happened that she then strolled into his room heading straight for his closet, clearly tired of greeting him in the same costume for the umpteenth time. She flung the ornate doors open in search of anything other than black coat, blue shirt, and black pants. To her dismay as she voiced out loud to a blinking Demonio, after flipping through literally every single shelf and clothes hanger, there was nothing else to be discovered apart from black coats, blue shirts, and of course black pants. Feeling the need to explain himself, the man tried to demonstrate his innocence by saying that he was quite happy looking the same every day thank you very much. Besides he reasoned with a tilted head, there was nothing on his schedule that required a different look.

Ten minutes later the very same man found himself being ushered into the changing rooms of a nearby shop while holding what Noblesse defined as "far more fashionable clothing." One by one his dark looks fell to the floor, replaced first by a casual light blue jacket donned over a cute phoru t-shirt. When he appeared in her field of vision once more, he received a bright smile along with a question about his thoughts on the new costume.

"They look good."

Slightly displeased by the simple reply, Noblesse retorted in a playful tone.

"Is "good" the only way you can describe it?"

And so the process repeated itself, the shop attendant eagerly bringing set after set of the best they could offer. It was unusual to see such a handsome demon who practically fit almost everything of every which genre, his attractiveness further enhanced by the noble aura around him inflicted by the role of the butler to the majestic monarch. Secretly, the attendant had managed to take a snap here and there with his Advanced Nasod Camera of Demonio in various sets with different poses. Oblivious to the duo, these would soon be made into posters stuck around Elrios to promote the Cobo Entertainment Studio.

Back to the present, the model at hand eventually grew tired of having to dress himself and sent a weary gaze in her direction, to which she carefully ignored as her attention became directed to the attendant. He could not help but notice the sudden change in Noblesse's expression, the usually warm lips curling in a unfamiliar manner to reveal a canine. If he had not known better he could have sworn it was Diabla with him in the shop, the manic grin reminding him too much of the madness consumed lady that a shiver slithered down his spine. His body immediately acting on instincts, turning him back inside the changing room in search of his usual clothes, the sooner he was out of here the better.

"Oh Ciel, we have enough here don't you think?"

She still had that cunning grin that sent his Demon Instincts flaring in warning, nevertheless he turned awkwardly around with a forced little smile of his own.

"Yes Lu, I think that is more tha-"

"Oh but Ciel, I do think one last one won't hurt. Hmm?"

"Than enough," he finished quietly in his own mind. She was sending him that nudge down the contract again, a gesture she called let's play a game, what he named oh dear somethings going to go terribly wrong. He stared at the shop attendant's hands as he moved towards him holding another clothes hanger, except this time the actual clothing was tucked in around itself looking like a bunch of random sash.

Sash? He wondered why he needed something as fancy as that.

His form retreated back through the curtains, facing the mirror inside once more. Upon a closer inspection of the thing now held in his hands, the man found surprisingly it looked frilly, increasingly so as he started to unravel the tangled up material. At last when the final two pieces separated, one of them being some kind of white head band that looked too delicate, he stared at the black top laced with white at its sleeves. He knew it was not in his place to question the rights or wrongs of his master, but this? Questions fumbled with his mind, the first one being not to ask her but how exactly to put this on as this was very different to every piece of cloth he had laid hands on before.

Noblesse sat with her petite legs elegantly crossed in the chair the shop attendant had hastily presented, her eyes fixed at the curtains to which Demonio was hidden behind. He had been in there for quite a while now, no doubt trying to make some sense of the clothing she had demanded him to try on. As time passed by, the amused grin on her beautiful face could only be said to have grown wider, more smug and even more cunning than ever before. The shop attendant standing rigidly beside her had his hands wound up in fists, while the fingers twiddled up and down as a sign of extreme nerves. For just like anyone would, he was terrified at what the entity of death was capable of, not wanting to expreience it first hand should he appear with a grow across his features.

But orders were orders, and having a monarch on his tail seemed just that little bit more intimidating than a mere butler.

Little less than ten minutes later, the long anticipated model emerged from the gloom into the spot light.

The shop attendant's eyes enlarged to the size of saucers, hands apparently forgetting their job as well as the camera he had held tightly in his hands fell with a noisy clatter to the floor. Thankfully the carpet cushioned it to prevent the glass lens from shattering, which the man would be very grateful for later on. However, even the well being of his precious tool failed to draw the his attention back, it still being attached to the scene at hand. Noblesse, who had her patience diminishing ever so slightly, immediately regained her composure by propping herself up right in her seat, her body leaning forwards so as to confirm that no her eyes were not playing petty tricks on her. If anything it was her, that was playing "petty tricks" on the man that resulted the scene now.

Demonio's hair swayed around him as he shifted uncomfortably under their gaze, the snow white serving as a polar contrast to the dark blue top he was wearing now. Even so, the plain colour matched the frilly lace iced into the middle of cake just below his pointed chin. Speaking of his chin, it tilted left first than to the right in an attempt to prevent the silky collar from bothering it further, which only resulted in the black bow in front of his neck to flow in the motion. Extending from his shoulders, charcoal coloured sleeves cascaded down to his wrists, cuffed in white once more which seemed to meld in with his pale hands. If one sent their gaze further downwards, they would find that his long snowy legs were infinitely visible, the bottom piece rather too short to cover more of what sent people staring. An apron hung itself neatly in front of the fabric a matching colour with his top, lined with a trail of light blue that elongated downwards to once again end with white lace. To top it all up, the costume had a white bow tied tightly at the back, corresponding to the headdress set lopsided due to the protruding horn that seemed too out of place for such a look associated with bright connotations.

"You...look..." the mistress stammered.

"Utterly..." the shop attendant continued.

"Atrocious." the centre of attention finished with three lines trailing down the side of his head.

They were all silent for a moment.

"No! I meant that you look absolutely fabulous Ciel~" Noblesse chuckled lightly in an attempt to stifle endless giggles.

Demonio sent her a look that clearly meant he was not impressed.

The camera man immediately bent down to retrieve his camera, holding it up to his eyes ready to take a snap. This indeed would draw great attention to the Cobo Entertainment Studio, in fact, he thought merrily while future plans made themselves clear to his mind, this might become there next hot spot that will appear in the Elrios papers tomorrow! Intrigued by his own fast thinking, he was ready to press the button until the world around him suddenly fogged, as if someone or rather something had intruded in his vision. Quickly turning his head from side to side, he tried desperately to shake off the blue whisps that left a trail in front of his eyes, not paying much attention as to how and why this might be happening. Even as he did so, the blue haze in his eyes only further wrapped its gentle lullaby around him, coaxing his arms to lower to his sides, camera and all no longer pointing ahead.

 _"How about taking a little break?"_ A small voice whispered in amidst the gray atmosphere in his mind.

That would indeed be a good idea, he agreed with blind joy as a sluggish smile reflected on his face.

Unbeknownst to the poor shop attendant, he would find himself sitting with a dazed expression behind the counter laden with a fine sum of ED across its smooth wooden surface. Upon peering more intently at the golden bars lying neatly in a pile, he discovered a small note tucked almost invisible amongst two of them. His hands crawled cautiously forwards, probably in fear the note would miraculously jump up to bite his fingers off. When the parchment flattened out with not so much as a twitch, he let the words flow into his mind.

 _"Good evening my dear Cobo Entertainment Studio manager,_

 _I suppose you would be slightly puzzled at the phenomenon you now wake up to find, but let me tell you one thing that will remain certain._

 _If I find so much as one edge of Ciel's photo in the Elrios morning papers tomorrow, I will let my souls haunt you for more than eternity._

 _Understood? I will take that as a yes._

 _Good day to you~_

 _Noblesse_

 _P.S. One last thing, I will expect to hear nothing on the streets either._

Right when shivers ran down the shop attendant's spine and did not hesitate in the slightest to invade his whole body as well, the main culprit behind this merely flicked her long hair behind her back. Demonio approached Noblesse holding her favorite teacup filled with a fragrance she knew only too well, accepting it with a grateful gaze that warmed his heart. She brought the cup up to her supple lips in a swift motion, looking over the rim of the ornate utensil at the man that seemed enticed in thoughts.

"Yes Ciel?" she hummed gently as the cup joined the plate with a small clatter.

At her words, the butler lifted his attention to her with eyes filled with what she recognised as confusion.

"Lu, why did that shop attendant look so dreamy when we left?"

She could not hold it in any longer at this, letting her casual laughter travel to the ever so confused man.

"Perhaps you were to entrancing in that maid outfit." She joked while holding a mental debate of whether to tell him the truth. The truth being that in order to keep him from being bombarded by girls, or even men in this case, on the streets, she had set her captured souls on the man to warn him what would happen if she ever caught wind of the photos anywhere in public.

"Why did we buy that itchy clothing anyway?" He continued to question.

Trying to maintain her serious manner once more, Noblesse sent her right hand to her lips in a fist, coughing twice before addressing her butler once more.

"Now Ciel, I know you are a skilled assassin and don't need my reminding. However, there are times where you might need to hide your identity not just by magic alone, but by using illusions as well." Even the demon lady herself rolled her eyes at this. What an obvious lie, all she wanted was to have a laugh with him.

Demonio however gave a look as if all the clouds had suddenly cleared away in his world, an expression of awe and gratitude washing away all previous doubt. Of course his mistress would do not such thing as making fun of him dressing up as a girl, he thought, this was all to his benefit trying to help him further enhance his assassin skills. Noticing the sudden flare of emotion down the contract, Noblesse only closed her eyes to avoid contact while sipping her tea once more.

Little did she know, that on April the 1st she would find something that almost sent Shadow Bolt searching across the continent for the real Demonio. Who, really was standing beside her with an innocent look as he twiddled with the hem of his frilly skirt.

* * *

A trace of a smile graced his lips as he enjoyed the soothing caress of the warm water traveling down his form. Fingers tousling through his now damp hair while the other groped for the bottle of shampoo on the rack, Demonio had to admit he loved the times Noblesse spun his mind around in circles in order to help him regain some humanity.

Perhaps she enjoyed it too, he thought.

But that will remain a mystery, to him that is, as he continued to bath in the everlasting flow of memory.

* * *

 **To be continued...**

 **Yes I do know this is somewhat abrupt, but do forgive me.  
My crafting cools have conveniently told me it desires the blacksmith to further enhance it, therefore I would not be in its company for quite some time.  
I hereby sincerely apologise, but no fear as I will still try to rip open the dimension portal  
If Glave doesn't realise that is OwO**

 **I thank Namirah for joining on our journey, your presence brings great purpose to my crafts.**

 **I will show you a sweet dream the next night~**

 ** _Sendo Erika 03.05.2017_**


	11. Authors Note

Just a quick note to all my beloved readers and followers:

You have my most heartfelt gratitude for joining me on this journey, and I sincerely apologise for not crafting anything for quite a while now, but I will have to blame it on entering Year 11. It would just seem that CIE AS level is just so taxing, and I really did not realise that when I started this story last year in Year 10.

To clear a few things up, I will say that no I have not forgotten about this story and have full intention on continuing it. As soon as my exams are finished, which is November 16 I will be writing the main chapters again. To wile away the time, would I be graced with your presence in the side crafts of this series? Hehe, I certainly hope so. They are named Nightmare, Priceless, and Starlight. I am wondering whether to combine them into one series or leave them as separate stories, care to give me a few suggestions?

Once again I want to thank everyone to not have forgotten this story, and I promise I will make it up with extra lengthy chapters when I start. Thank you so much! OwO

 **I will show you a sweet dream the next night...**

 **Sendo Erika 31.10.17**

PS: Happy Halloween!


	12. Chapter 9

**As promised, this chapter is way longer than originally planned,  
I hope this meets the expectations of my dear guests.  
I sincerely apologise for the long wait and how this chapter may seem as a filler, but I wish to put the interactions of each duo  
before the actual dilemma of this story comes into play.**

 **Without further ado, let us enter this memory~  
**

 ** _Moonlight Memories_**

Chapter 9:

His feet made its way loftily out of the bathroom, leaving its unique print on the dark blue carpet as the wooden door followed closely behind, fitting into its frame with a gentle thud. With a towel draped over his head, or rather half of it due to the horn glistening from the precipitate, Demonio let his fingers take the lead of drying his long white hair freshly washed. It was now that he casually started to wonder why no replying warmth appeared down the contract. Usually when he woke, a bell would tinker signifying the arrival of a bright "Good Morning!" from his dear mistress. He in return would send a greeting with no less affinity, accompanied by an inquiry of what she would prefer for breakfast.

Usually.

This morning however, no nudge knocked on his end of the bond, no light that radiated so luring he knew who it was before even opening the door. Puzzled by the unusual beginning of the day, the butler sent his own bright morning call towards her followed by the same question as any other day.

To receive no reply.

Why wasn't Noblesse talking to him? Had he done anything to disappoint her? A wave of ice cold paved over his senses, flushing away all warmth although he had just emerged from a comfortable, hot bath. Quickly rushing through his mind to recall the events yesterday, he ravaged for an answer, a solution to his sole question now, yet a small part of him merely lagged behind.

As if he knew the reason already.

Though most of the times he would interpret it the other way, he would never even dream that her deeds were done for an ill purpose of course, but this was definitely having a great effect, proven by the significant amount of emotions coursing through his head right now. Anxiety to say the most, closely followed by the eagerness to greet her downstairs, and a little amount of hunger.

None of these resembled anger or hate even remotely.

Perhaps he understood why she had wanted to read his mind, to test and prod again just like when she first arrived. To see whether she had made a difference, which he would gladly tell her that her impact gave the benefits of letting him find a bit of his former human self.

Demonio reached his closest with furrowed eyes, closed in concentration to send his message again with more fervor. It did not occur to him until blind claws that groped for the smooth handle that would reveal his clothing was met by nothing but thin air, that his closet was really nowhere to be seen. Instead, a dark blue swirl took its place, ominous yet alluring in its own majestic manner that had him blinking twice. He reached for the demonic energy, fascination evident with the pounding of an eager heart, along with the way his Demon Instincts failed to penetrate its depths.

The butler rushed out of his darkened room, shoving a thought to the back of his mind.

He had seen this before.

Hadn't he?

* * *

"You do realise this is political suicide, walking into my territory without approval."

 _"I am not here to bicker, Noblesse."_

The elegant monarch willed her face to remain impassive, letting questions and doubts overwhelm her would do no good now. She let her searing gaze of judgement fall as a spotlight on the intruder, letting the latter decide for herself whether it was wise to speak. It was a silence of tension, an atmosphere carefully crafted by the rumors that had drifted across continents, even dimensions in this case, but neither truly knew what the other was capable of. The leisure displayed by both, the casual leaning of a spectral spear beside the throne betrayed nothing but a seeming curiosity. The guest moved closer with ease, no guard along the aisle would dare approach this being, too afraid.

And they had every reason to be terrified of this small figure.

"I am under the impression that as queen, all that wish to speak are to kneel before me."

The one clothed in darkness lets the shadows drown her face, but her pace comes to a calculated halt. No further movement, a defiance.

Noblesse internally sneered, oh yes she would enjoy throwing the word dignity right at the shadow. If she indeed was not here for a fight, or so Noblesse heard she was too much a novice to conceal her bloodlust, then the elegant queen deemed her worthy to speak, for now.

 _"I am under the impression, that the almighty Demon Overlord Noblesse would treat her equals without this famed arrogance. I believe I am mistaken."_

Damn that ego, damn that attitude. Noblesse carefully graces the most cunning of smiles, a sight for the bewitched, still her face remains unfazed.

"You alone are not an exception."

Oh that sudden tensing of muscle was so, so worth it.

"Lest of course you are offering something I would find beneficial to Abbadon, then I may consider grabbing you a stool."

Silence. A joke not meant for a laugh, a casual addition as a threat.

Noblesse waits, she had the patience to see the shadow's reaction even after an infinitely long pause. She must have half the mind to storm out, Noblesse thinks to herself as the spectral spear returns to her twirling fingers, boredom too evident. No, this was not boredom she corrected herself, it was an unconscious instinct to remain armed just in case she crossed the line too far.

The shadow blinked and her tense body relaxed involuntarily as if she were stunned. Noblesse could feel a small bead of sweat budding down from her forehead as her mind ensued a hurried frenzy to figure out what this reaction meant.

With an everlasting slowness, there was the sound of two final clicks of glass heels on marble floor, before the shadow approached cooled stone with her porcelain knees.

She was kneeling. Her head was still held too high, but she was on her knees in front of her.

Noblesse failed to conceal the surprise this time.

"I don't know what your endeavor is but-"

 _"I said I was not here for a fight, nor for political suicide. I did not come here risking the balance between us for such petty reasons."_

Her judgemental gaze slipped for a second before she set it ablaze, brighter than before because this, this was unheard of.

 _"Hear what I have to say, Noblesse."_

 _"Please."_

Noblesse did not know what made this so compelling to the ear, but she listens to the shadow's tale.

* * *

Noblesse lay rather dazed atop the silk linen sheets of her too real bed. Her fingers entwined with the soft white cloth, letting the sensation tickle the tips of her fingers until her mind agreed that yes, this was the real world.

She tried not to focus on how much her frail form was shaking.

It had been quite a while since her mind focused on that particular memory, shredding it into a dream too much like wisps of persistent smoke that failed to disperse, haunting her even at night. How convenient, to have it now, she chuckles to herself, when she doubted her purpose, doubted the very reason to be here in a different dimension.

Was this the shadow's message to her, to remind and reprimand her for thinking of defying their vow?

Quite possible, she muses, for the whereabouts of the shadow had remained for unknown for quite a while now. Her men had ravaged her own dimension ever since she set foot in this territory still to no avail, searches would have to be conducted in this world too. Noblesse nimbly levitated off towards the bathroom, already making preparations who to send for this mission. Sen may have fast wings but he was no good at searching...Elena is good at using her Demon Instincts as a radar, but if she were caught she would no doubt die...Celina would be...

It did not occur to Noblesse that she unconsciously, yet very skillfully, avoiding a matter she needed to address. While in this process, the mind does miraculous things, such as deleting all connection with said matter, including ignoring the bright morning greeting from a certain someone.

It should be noted that this you could not really blame our dear Demon Overlord, because her mind deemed personal matters lightweight as a feather compared to the well-being of the Demon Realm.

Yes, the whereabouts of this mysterious shadow did affect the whole Demon Realm even Elrios. How she had disappeared so swiftly was an entirely different matter to which no one really had any idea, why she asked Noblesse of this deed was another question mark too.

After weighing up several of her top Demon assassins, Noblesse came to the conclusion that there really was no point in pondering about it now. It was seem that her brain had very quickly found the answer already, and that this incredibly long process of naming a few others was to serve as a successful distraction. Up until now anyway, because as soon as the last name walked out of her thoughts, Rena if you had to know, because she was too nice to say no to anything, Luciela R. Sourcream was shoved face to face with the great wall between emotion and matters.

Royal Guard, the only she could trust with such important matters, along as having all the best qualities her top team had to offer.

Her Ciel was loyal, too loyal to her to the degree that despite her best efforts, she seemed to sometimes exploit this courtesy. It would be a lie to say that guilt did not gnaw at her when she confined him to his room, but would he believe her should she say it was for his own safety? Would he still trust her now, should she approach him with this request?

This, quite unsurprisingly was the smaller matter of the two.

The other great boulder imposed on her bath was of course, his counterpart.

Demonio...

Noblesse was by no means a coward, it should be noted that if anything she was quite fearless. However, could anyone blame her for having second thoughts after what happened the previous day? Could anyway say she should go on her task without fear and uncertainty? Even if Demonio reassured her that he was by all means fine, she knows that even if he was not fine it was not him to give her a down right 'no'. When humans lie their heart rate naturally increases, perhaps even sweaty palms or so, but an assassin like him, who was taught to treat a lie like the gods known truth, things would not be so easy. Not to mention he lost all human emotion...

Thanks to her.

Noblesse slammed her head none too gently on the door of her chambers, drawing her to the realisation that she had not even left her own room yet. Damn the elegance, she swore quite colourfully at the ornate carving of the star shaped symbol upon the demon-made transparent glass. Another very un-Noblesse thing to do, said monarch kicked the door with a heel with her demon magic spiraling around her in a frenzy. This did not go without a consequence however the glass gracefully, unlike she who did this deed, sent spikey cracks in the form of a fan with her heel as the centre.

Well at least it did not shatter.

They say that feeling gratefull that something has not yet happened is often the jinx, and Noblesse could not help but agree with that all to whole-heartedly right now because her bedroom door, very beautifully, let the shards of expensive demon glass fall to the floor in the pattern of a exquisite mosaic. Now if this really was not enough to throw the remains of a good morning to shambles, what really had the demoness standing frozen on the spot was _what_ her broken door had revealed.

Demonio stands with his clawed hand loosely in a fist raised to shoulder height, his mouthguard was surprisingly not covering his face to reveal a slightly open mouth indicating his previous desire to speak. Judging by how unmoving he was it was an accurate guess to say that he was just as shocked as she was. Now as if that was not enough, Noblesse carefully lowered her gaze from his face southwards, then realised what she was staring at then quickly raised her eyes again. But after another second of endless wondering, she looked down again and this process repeated itself for quite a few more times before she finally met his eyes again, the questions all to evident.

"Demonio...why...?"

The demon butler did not seem to be as bothered as she was, lowering his hand without a tinge on his face.

"My wardrobe disappeared."

What  
was that?

"Your what, what?!"

Demonio blinked twice, then lowered himself to Noblesse's height before cupping his hands on either side of his mouth.

"MY WARDROBE, THE THING FOR PUTTING CLOTHES IN, MIRACULOUSLY GREW FEET AND WALKED AWAY!"

He bellowed the details, really unneeded, right into his mistress's face no doubt mistaking her incredulous expression for one that genuinely questioned what in Elrios was a wardrobe. This sudden shout out successfully caught the attention of a few maids, who immediately came rushing towards the chambers stopping a whole great distance along the corridor with a hand covering their mouths.

"Milady-"

"Right, I want the door fixed before my return and breakfast ready in ten minutes. Postpone all meetings and if Scar has a problem again, I will personally deal with him later. Is that clear?"

A long pause ensued, to which Noblesse hastily brushed off the debris from her blue skirts.

She was confused as to why there was not the usual "Yes milady" or "Yes Overlord" or anything as such, feet moving towards the maid who had her eyes focused on the figure trailing behind the queen. Noblesse followed her lead and turned around, coming face to face with her faithful butler who of course was on her tail to inspect the incident in his room. Demonio was rather confused as to why the two girls were staring at him, blinking twice more before finally catching on. With the same curious look he turned around to find only an empty corridor, that baffled him more than ever wondering what had he done wrong? Hadn't he played the game of 'follow the leader' correctly?

A breeze brushed his rather chilled body, carrying a scent of lavishing lavender as his mistress passed him back into her room, reappearing several seconds later with a long conductor's overcoat draped over her arm which with an expert twist of her arm landed in his open hands.

"Put it on." She said with an exasperated sigh, before you nosebleed anyone to death.

"Thank you." Demonio whispered before sliding in the long sleeves, buttoning up to finally cover his well toned torso and chest.

The maid's eyes seemed to pierce the dark blue clothing, the murderous intent too obvious as it concealed such an intriguing sight. Noblesse trudged past her with a pat on the shoulders, muttering lowly which had her scrambling for tissues as drool mixed with blood from her nostrils slid almost down to the marble floor. Demonio, who Abbadon help him was still innocent as ever, mimicked his mistress's gesture and placed his long fingers atop frilly lace.

Noblesse visibly rolled her eyes as something audibly fell to the floor in a fainted heap.

* * *

 _"Prick!"_

 _"Childish."_

 _"Meanie!"_

 _"Clumsy."_

 _"Idiot!"_

 _"Why thank you."_

 _"Urgh!"_

 _"Is that an insult too?"_

 _Chiliarch fumed. Idiot, idiot Dreadlord was just so...frustrating and irritating and annoying and just plain urgh! sometimes. No no, scratch that, all the time and that was ALL the time including the capitals._

 _"Ciel, this is not the time to-"_

 _"I was not the one who started it."_

 _"Yes, but- NO! But-"_

 _Dreadlord rolled his eyes at Chiliarch's frequent inability to express herself, but yes she was right in saying that this was indeed not the time to be bickering about such nonsense. Where exactly they were headed was really out of the question, because that did not matter when the question was 'why'. Why were they here anyway? Why in Elrios was the gate even in a tunnel out of everywhere it could have been? The butler would not say that he was an expert in dimensions and time, but at least he could summon Apollyon and Oblivion from the Demon Realm, that should put him in a better spot than a mere novice. However, the knowledge of opening a rip in mere space did not play much of a part in this landscape of eerie blue dice. Of course, the terror lady who could open the gate to even bigger demons of darkness would have clearly been someone to ask, but, his mistress gave him the empty hands that spoke volume that even she was powerless in this situation._

 _The girl eyed her partner with curious eyes as he fumbled with the sack he had brought with them on this journey, deft fingers closing around a small violet orb, glowing as it emerged in his palm. Along with the orb the assassin withdrew another thick volume bound in expensive brown leather, a magic book, Chiliarch notes as she recognised the magic pentagram carved intricately into the cover. She had seen that before, but where..? The man flipped through the pages, pausing somewhere in the middle with brows furrowed in evident disdain and thought. His left hand threw the orb up and down, the glow sending shimmering shadows on the landscape before ceasing as it landed back in his open palm. Shutting the book with a muffled ruffle of papers and letting it fall back into the sack, Dreadlord held the orb to eye level before grabbing one of his throwing knives. Chiliarch's curiosity heightens a feat as his skilled maneuvers painted the intricate symbol of magic on its glassy surface, wisps of purple energy swirls around his fingers following to encase his lips when he leaned in close to murmur the spell.  
_

 _"This is Luciela R. Sourcream Chilliarch and Ciel Dreadlord, first journey log upon entering this dimension. Arrived in a cave upon accepting a quest on the outskirts of Altera, a dimension gate revealed. Suspect that this could very well be-"_

 _"Ciel I don't think now is the time to do a live show."_

 _Dreadlord's raised eyebrow had her pouting, turning away with folded arms.  
_

 _"Ignore that. As I was saying this place could very well be-"_

 _"What is that anyway?"_

 _Chiliarch's irritation was swept away by the way the orb seemed to be responding to Dreadlord's voice, elegant symbols swirling in a sphere as words were said. This was fascinating, but it was not like she hadn't seen it before, if only she could remember where..?_

 _"It's one of Aisha's Memorise orbs, you remember the purple ball in the middle of her Aether Sage staff like when the scroll symbol appears above her head?"_

 _She nodded her head in acknowledgement. Of course magic would be linked to the magician Aisha Landar, the book was the ones she always seemed to materialise out of nowhere after battles.  
_

 _"Wait, Aether Sage? I thought she held the title of Elemental Master."_

 _She swiveled around on her perch to face her partner fully, confusion inking her cute features. The terror lord sighs, the one he gives when his mistress asked something incredibly self explanatory._

 _"Don't you remember? When we came back from Elrianode she looked all frilly frilly with new clothes and things looking very happy? She was the first along with Add to further advance, that was why she agreed to lend me this in the first place. She was so joyful she practically said yes to everything."_

 _Dreadlord face palmed as Chilliarch entered one of her 'ohhh, that did happen didn't it' mode with widened eyes. He had wondered whether he should have taken the orb that seemed to be part of her precious staff, but Aisha had reassured her in a drunken slur that she had plenty more. This was one of his newly acquired habits, recording what happened whenever he and the demoness were to go on a mission. In the past, it did not matter because such precautions were only for the sake of comrades being able to track whereabouts of a missing team member. If anything recording whereabouts while living in the underworld was suicide, because even if whatever device you used was lucky enough to fall into the hands of people on your side, it would only lead to both sides on your back. One to kill you because you were the enemy, and your own side desperate for your head just in case you reveal priceless secrets.  
_

 _Dreadlord did not ever think that he would be using this, not in the past not in the future. He had hoped not at least._

 _But of course, things had changed now._

 _It was no longer just the lone life of one assassin which Elrios could do with or without, it was not yet another suicide mission which he secretly hopes would release him from this world without Terre or Verni. Terre, his only purpose of living so brutally taken away from him. Verni, who the Gods had the audacity to take through the hands of ignorant men who thought they were saving him. They did not foresee that the boy 'saved' would one day become the lord of the underworld, no, what they did had doomed his already shattered life. Ciel was a broken man, and he was about to throw the shambles into flame._

 _"Status, honor, power. I've lost the embers of my life go out...will you...become my royal strength?"_

 _She held his hand, the last shambles weaving back into a crumbling soul, together their souls melded into a new melody. Just as she was the glue holding him together, he would make sure that he would become her blade. The recordings were for the sake of Chiliarch, because he could not bare to see her destroyed._

 _He could only pray to whichever Demon God precariously listening now for their records to be found by someone other than the owner of this place._

 _Dreadlord looks to Chiliarch with a slightly guilty expression, wanting to apologise for snapping at her earlier._

 _"I can't believe I lost to a flat-chested human! Just you watch, Ciel we will reach our advancement and get our title in no time!"_

 _The girl stands chest held high, with left hand on her hip and the other pointing to somewhere mid-air (which Dreadlord must say was not very high cough her height), stars in her eyes twinkling infinite times more than their usual gleam as a heart of ambition rose to a greater height._

 _Dreadlord groaned._

 _Scratch that, all anxiety thrown out the window at Chiliarch's rather sudden not to mention outlandish outburst, the butler still managed an exasperated smile. Before he could say more however, the poor neglected purple orb increased its radiance to a maximum for a fraction of a second, the shimmering words in elegant curls retreated into the swirling mist. The sphere hovered in front of their eyes, accompanied by a voice unmistakably a mechanical Aisha's 'Memorise sequence complete. Hold your gratitude to the genius magician Aisha for all your nonsense has been recorded.'  
_

 _There was a pause._

 _Dreadlord just managed to catch the object before it fell with a clatter to the glowing blue floor. Pressing the sides of his palms together, he gazed at the now motionless ball he had placed all of his remaining hope and faith, it remained unmoving thank you very much, and that shattered the butler's shards of patience.  
_

 _Now Chiliarch was the lady of terror, installing fear was her job, her hobby, her everything. She was fear itself, so it did not quite make sense if she felt scared, because well, how could she feel herself? Our little demon queen however, did not have the luxury to ponder the answer to this new found query, instead finding herself rather naturally avoiding eye contact with the being beside her. Her Demon Instincts were flaring, sending blinding red flashes to warn her that she was in mortal danger, not physically of course, but-_

 _"You do know that I hardly recorded anything useful in that orb."_

 _"..."_

 _"You do know that we have none more to spare."_

 _"...Ciel-"_

 _"You do know that could have just sold our lives!"_

 _"Ahaha...Ciel, it's..not that bad-"_

 _"No desert for the next week." Dreadlord's mouth morphed into a mocking grin._

 _"NO CIEL, I'M SORRY PLEASE ANYTHING JUST DON'T TAKE AWAY MY DESERT!" Chiliarch wailed, clasping her hands tightly onto the hem of Dreadlord's jacket._

 _Not physically of course, because what pain had Chiliarch not experienced before? No, the only way to punish her was to deprive her of sweet things._

 _The two continued their pitiful argument before the girl suddenly stilled. The man who was enjoying the sensation of torturing her so paused too, looking down he met widened white stars._

 _"Ciel...it said it recorded everything..."_

 _"Yes of course."_

 _"Meaning, including...that conversation."_

 _"Your point?" Dreadlord was getting impatient now. If this was another one of Chiliarch's way of winding her way out of this 'severe' punishment then-_

 _"Where does the message get sent off to?"_

 _"The orb would return to its rightful owner, which is Aisha, which would in turn lead to the others in case we need-"_

 _Then it struck the butler too._

 _The two demons looked at each other, Dreadlord sinking to his knees beside his mistress as they hugged each other. They said that the same elements repelled each other, but when forcefully placed together they are amplified to the greatest degree. This could not have been more suitable to describe the terror lord and lady now, because the same fear rolled off them in ragged waves._

 _"She would hear- that I- she- flat-chested-AHHHHHHHHH Ciel save me!"_

 _Abbadon help them now._

* * *

 **To be continued...**

 **We shall leave it at that, hopefully Chiliarch would have shaken off her paranoia by the next time the dimension portal opens.  
**

 **As a new start, I would like to express my gratitude to (In alphabetical order)Alvit Atal, Amaterasu31, Amy Valikie, Bartogromeo, BreadCrumble, DeathByLechee, Demonfoxx42, Eli0s, EmiyaKiritsugu1995, InfiniteVoidWalker, Isangtao, Kashizu, Last Step, Liyako Ayaki, Lucretia-Herschell, Maple Butts, MargaritaDaemonelix, Namirah, Preneli, and lily0217  
For joining me on this journey.  
I sincerely pray you have not lost faith in me, and thank you so much for liking this story.  
I would gladly appreciate feedback, so please feel free on leaving a review, it greatly improves the speed of crafting a memory OwO/**

 **I will show you a sweet dream the next night~**

 ** _Sendo Erika 05.12.2017_**


	13. Chapter 10

**Ahh here you are, I was wondering whether everyone would be waiting in their own dimension for 3rd Jobs and Christmas,  
Thank you for spending the time in traveling here, come on in.**

 **This particular memory can be considered the beginning of many events to come,  
So have a few cookies, make yourself comfortable**

 **Lets us fall into the dwelling of a long forgotten scene~**

 ** _Moonlight Memories_**

Chapter 10:

Legend has it that there were alternate dimensions in this universe, wind blowing in different patterns, events happening in different directions, day and night rising at different times, everything, even people, personalities, their likes, their thoughts, all that they are worth, could exist in a completely unthinkable manner. Rumors continue to say that all the unique time and space put together was ruled by none other than the entity of Henir, the lord of Chaos. Those who claimed to have seen the being described a giant with bright purple hair and a clown face, others thought to have seen silvery scales protruding from dark blue skin, some yelled at the top of their voices that it was a incredibly charming woman with the perfect body in a green bikini.

Noblesse shook her head with a light chuckle as she wondered why in Elrios she remembered such unneeded (and false too!) details. She and Demonio were standing in front of the gaping hole which replaced the original pretty ornate wardrobe to which the butler's clothing held residence, and the striking resemblance of this swirling energy to the one she emerged out off quite a few weeks ago began the cranking of gears in the deeper parts of her memory.

What was troubling her now was not why exactly it had appeared, but _where_.

Being careful as she is, the Queen would not have left such an existence _anywhere,_ any mistreatment would have sent the violator somewhere into the rifts of time, perhaps even never to be found. Unless of course the ruler of Time and Space had the kind audacity to send them back into their own time, which Noblesse severely doubted the man was in a good mood to do such a favor.

When she emerged that day, dazed and half weary of whether she stepped into the right dimension, the elegant monarch had quite conveniently found herself standing in the majestic bedroom specially designed for the Demon Overlord. Noblesse did not exactly like the tastes of how Diabla decorated the chamber, with ripped canvases and smudged blood, but it was more or less, the dwelling of a Luciela R. Sourcream. This was when she had acknowledged the legends, that the wheel of fate could turn a different direction and send people tumbling over themselves, because the Lady of Nightmares could not have been more different to herself than spring waters to a stifling desert.

Before heading towards the dining room to meet Demonio for the first time, Noblesse had summoned one of her loyal souls specifically wielding the deadliest spectral spear she could manage, to guard the dimension portal. Then, a simple slam of her gauntlet sang her famed Soul Entrapment which had nearby unfortunate souls trying to claw their way out of the great barrage of souls now forcefully covering the hole. All in all, not only did she give a gatekeeper, but kept the thing hidden from prying eyes even though she was the only one to venture into the Overlord's chambers anyway.

So when Noblesse sets her unimpressed glare at the trembling soul with a half snapped spear, it is with the air of a hopeless why and the threat that if he did not explain himself within one sentence it was a direct road to purgatory. To demon souls purification to enter heaven was torture, the holy light too bright to be endured, and it just so happens that Noblesse's acquaintance with a certain angel earned her the freedom of sending the disobedient to the El Lady's arms. Souls bound to her could communicate through telepathy and to her only, so the demoness had no trouble in shielding Demonio from this particular knowledge.

 _'Overlord, this uh, truly was an accident-"_

 _'I don't need excuses, I need what happened, in detail, in a short sentence.'_

 _'...Are you..very sure...mistress?'_

The appearance of the diminished claw materialising over her slender hand was answer enough. The soul slammed its eyes shut, straightened its transparent tail before taking a deep breath.

 _'Afteryoukickedthedoorinyour-"_

 _'No no no stop. I meant CLEARLY."_

By now, Demonio was fairly confused as to why his mistress was standing there, unmoving, and staring at the hole with her claw out. Surely if they truly were to fight, then wouldn't the full form of her gauntlet be better? That was not all, her cheeks slowly but surely dusted a light shade of pink.

 _'What did you say?'_

 _'After you, my dear lady, slammed your heel into the door of your chambers, your Demon Instincts, as powerful as it is, why of course milady is strongest of all, what I meant to say-'  
_

 _'Get to the point!'_

 _'Your Demon Instincts sent the dimension portal here!'_

Well, wasn't that just splendid.

Noblesse, reddened cheeks and all who was unable to rebuke, resummoned the soul back into her reserves. What a waste that broken spectral spear was, she would have to find someone to repair that. Normally it would fall into the hands of Royal Guard who shared her same powerful energy, his cross-shaped rifle and her sharp spears resonated with each other to renew the lost bits here and there, maybe she should hop back through the dimension portal now, but then Demonio...

Demonio watched as Noblesse floated a few feet above ground before crossing her petite legs together, levitation a natural instinct whenever she fell into deep thought. This clicked a certain gear in his brain, the small space in which he kept his swift sniper rifle appearing without thought by an outstretched claw, except this time it was not the weapon that he drew out but instead a glistening white teapot with matching cup and saucer. The butler continues to watch with mild surprise as his deft fingers produced other shocking things out of nowhere, closer inspection revealed a fragrance bathed teabag, a jug of milk and an immense amount of sugar. A sudden bolt of lightning flashed through his bland mind ladened with pictures of a blue haired half-demon serving tea to Noblesse, Demonio tries to grasp on, but the deja vu vapourises as quickly as it had come.

But it has left something behind.

Within seconds all the tools he had pulled out of the storage space was put to use and a steaming cup of milk tea was held in his right hand, milk jug in left ready for the order to add more. He raises his gaze to the outstretched graceful hand directed towards him, settling the teacup and saucer into the demand. Noblesse had not even turned from staring at a spot on the floor, not even looked at him or indicated a gesture, yet this seemed like a natural routine they had been through so many times before it did not require words to be delivered. Taking a sip she mused.

"Thank you Royal Guard."

It was not until Demonio stored all the ingredients away did it occur to Noblesse that something was so incredibly wrong, turning to him in a forcefully slow motion, as if her muscles were too tense to allow movement.

"You..."

Demonio blinked twice, tilting his head with the question evident in confused eyes.

"Forgive me, that was a mistake." Noblesse said hastily, realising how easily this mode of action twanged a heartstring, but Demonio had- He had-

"You...remembered the sugar."

This was all she could manage. Memories flowed into her mind when she had first requested a strawberry crepe from Demonio upon her arrival, tasting only dull baked dough lacking the sweetness that entered not just the mouth but the heart as well.

"I did." He mused thoughtfully.

That halted all forming plans within Noblesse's brain, new threads of thought weaving together. Because Demonio was making progress in regaining himself, and this unexpected resemblance in activity to the true soul she was bonded to was all too much proof that she had made an impact. Perhaps she should take him to meet his counterpart too, just as she met hers, because who better to teach oneself than their own selves? However, as Noblesse lingered in a small pool of joy, her train of thought, just as all train of thoughts do, paused at the station named uncertainty, because what if Demonio happened to have completed that instinctive action not by instinct, but by a complete coincidence? What if, he only acted this way because he was near the ripped space that lead to her own dimension? Could it be possible that it was this proximity to another realm that affected one's mind?

"Demonio.." she began quietly, unsure of how to phrase the question, "Do you, feel something, anything, when you are near that portal?"

Demonio slowly touched his mouthguard lowered to his chin eyes drifting towards the ceiling, before settling on his own hands, following the blue claws as they moved to perch firmly atop a heart he thought he once lost.

"I can't name it." He replies truthfully.

The butler notes his mistress's disappointed look, no matter how carefully concealed she made it seem. Making up his mind, he reaches with measured care towards Noblesse's pale hand, wrapping equally white fingers around her slender digits, minding not to brush his claws on her skin. Their eyes meet, a silent acceptance from Noblesse to Demonio's unsaid request.

It is this trust that does not need words to deliver, that has the duo no matter in which dimension, to plunge into danger for each other's souls.

Demonio leads Noblesse with a nimble leap out the window, two elegant strands of pure hair trailing beside a bush of bone white dance in the wind, and the two land with two magic symbols drawn with equal vigor right in the Garden of Haures. In that instant, she understands why he had brought her here. That night when they had carefully bonded their souls, it was under the moonlight in this flower bathed dream. They find a seat under the largest petal, settling opposite each other with hands still clasped. The silence remains for a while, it is enough just to appreciate each other's presence.

"Can you hear them?" Demonio whispers quietly.

He does not need an answer, and he is glad it is this way, because unlike him Noblesse's hands are not drenched in the blood of those slaughtered in a sudden madness. As expected, she shakes her head after a moment's pause, so he grasps her hand in both of his and closes his eyes, indicating her to do the same.

 _"Phantom heir answer Noblesse, thy owner my command, I request clear lamented eyes"_

Noblesse hears the words somewhat mismatched woven into a sing-song spell, and a faint bell tinkers in her mind as she remembers that she had heard this somewhere before...

"Demonio, was that-"

She need not finish her sentence, light eyelids fluttering open in awe as faint singing, growing louder by the second, entered her senses. It was an eerie tune but not all that frightening, rather like a mixture of depressing cries and joyous laughter. The queen looked around at the small blue glows that now dotted the petals of a gigantic flower, she makes out the distinct figures of distorted souls, but at one souls that are whole and hand in hand with another.

"Phantom Circle, a buff that fully maximises the senses and the soul bond."

"That was a buff skill?" Noblesse presses on, her interest significantly intrigued. She remembers the shadow who had whispered to her the same skill, though the person was not as kind hearted as Demonio to explain what it was for. The mistress was all to eager for knowledge to let this once in a life time chance pass.

Demonio nods, before repeating with emphasis " _ **P** hantom **H** eir **A** nswer **N** oblesse, **T** hy **O** wner **M** y **C** ommand, **I** **R** equest **C** lear **L** amented **E** yes"_

Noblesse smiles thoughtfully, storing the words into her reserves for future reference. Though it was most likely that only Demonio and his partner could perform this feat, it would be helpful to at least know it was there. Before her thoughts could carry on further however, Demonio lowers his head slightly, long white bangs covering his eyes from view.

"I know you probably have known, but...this garden," the demon gestures at the petals, the flowers, the entirety but never once meeting her eyes, "holds all the souls I have taken, whether it be before I signed the contract or now."

She nods, words unable to leave nervously pursed lips as the eagerness clawing at her heart too overwhelming because he, he deemed her worthy enough to share. Demonio thought Noblesse trustworthy enough to share the guilt, the sin, his everything that he had held secret before.

His Demon Instincts notes her response, and he takes that as a signal to continue. "And," he swallows uncertainly "And I can hear them, they sing but its like they are crying, crying to me why-" The words catch in his throat. Somehow he never had any trouble voicing this to Diabla, if she allowed him to express this at all, but to Noblesse, he felt the chill slithering along his senses like a pestering snake, strangling his neck to halt his speech.

Because this guilt was his to bear, the sin was his to pay.

He feels her warm fingers curl around his own freezing clutches, strengthening the grip that seemed to be slacking slightly from the feelings creeping along a glass heart. Casually, eyes turning with ladened heaviness and caution, Demonio meets Noblesse's clear gaze. They were not conveying disdain or disgust as he had feared previously, but a genuine ecstasy, a light so clear so bright that sent him into a trance unable to look away.

"I will bear your sin. Share your guilt with me, we are one soul, it will be, always will stay this way. I swear in the name of the Overlord, I will stay by your side."

 _Because I stopped pursuing my real dream, when he stopped sharing it with me._

Those were the words the shadow had pleaded to her with, and Noblesse remembers them now with no surprise. She had suspected that somehow the shadow had drilled their whole conversation so deep into her brain it was like a nightmare, and it now makes sense as Demonio had once mentioned the effects of a certain skill (coincidentally or not) by the name of 'Nightmare'. The queen lets the words flow out of her mouth, including a word she had avoided voicing ever since arriving in this dimension out of fear, fear that he would not respond. She admits that he had doubts herself, because was she somehow betraying her true soul bond in doing so?

But for now, the euphoria of making progress in her quest, the joy in leading Demonio closer to his humanity overtakes other thoughts lingering in her mind.

"Will you trust me, _Ciel?"_

 _'Will you...trust me?'_ The exact words that had once played out in this same garden, the first time Demonio had opened the door to his encased heart. What was more, was-

She had voiced his name. Ciel, not butler, not Demonio, but _Ciel._

Was he worthy enough to earn back his name now? Because Lu had made the contract with Ciel, not Demonio, not this death entwined demon, and definitely not this sin ridden soul. There was a funny thing to this, the name calling situation that really had Demonio confused for quite a while. But ever since Noblesse had come it was always Demonio, not Ciel, and he understands because he would not call Noblesse Lu, because she was not the Lady of Madness he was accustomed to. He was confused when the elegant Lu had appeared and told him that she will be here for a while, almost as if she was _replacing_ the mad Lu. He remembers not voicing his thoughts then out of mistrust, but now...

"I...I don't know if, it will hurt you-"

"Do you think I will mind a small scratch or two?" Noblesse says in a playfully defiant tone.

Demonio's widened eyes shows how much he is taken aback, not seeing how it could only be 'a small scratch'. "But it could-"

Noblesse's kind gaze stops the rest of his sentence, and he slowly holds her hands tighter.

"I will try, for you, _Lu_."

Noblesse had woken up today in a foul temper, feeling the burden of everything crushing down on her rather small frame. But now, she feels that this could not have turned out any better, it was the best it could be.

"I can hear the souls, their cries their pleas, everything. But...there is something else to it."

Demonio carefully lets go of Noblesse's hands, not as a sign of ill-intention but for the need of aiding his explanation. Noblesse understands, and patiently waits for him to continue.

"I prune the Garden for a reason, not just so they can take more sou-" Demonio shakes his head hastily, "Not just so they can do their deeds, but to sooth them of their pain to repay what I have done. In the process, I began to realise that I can feel more things."

"Feel...things?" She questions.

Demonio nods, carefully letting a soul dangling from a nearby petal fall giggling into his palm.

"Here," He places his other hand to his chest where he can feel the steady thump of his heart "When I look at people or are near them, I get this feeling. Sometimes it is like...ah how do I say this, like when Lu gets desert that type of feeling, its the same. But sometimes, it is like...like when watching Terre die...it's...unpleasant. As if someone was hammering a knife on my chest. "

For now, this is all Demonio can manage. Thus could only be expected from a man whose emotion had been forcefully torn from him, so instead he relies on examples hoping Noblesse would understand. And she does, and this brief explanation opens the door to various possibilities to which she formulates within her mind.

"Does it feel warm and liberating, as if there is nothing else you could ask for, when you say it is like when I get desert?"

The butler nods eagerly, glad that she understood and looks with expectant eyes.

Noblesse smiles tenderly, before flattening her hand in the air between them. "This is called 'happiness', Ciel." A swirling orb of gold materialises in her palm, and as Demonio leans closer eyes transfixed on it, he notices the beams soaring free in that little sphere, nothing could restrict their movements. The mistress slowly lets go, letting it hover in the air before continuing. "And when you say it is unpleasant, it is called 'sorrow'."This time a completely pitch black orb appears, rather like a ball of yarn tangled within itself unable to move trapped, a caged bird. He can feel the sensations when his Demon Instincts probed these spheres, and marvels in awe at how accurately Noblesse had imitated them.

"What else?"

"There's this one exactly like when..." He was about to continue with 'when Diabla hits me', but realises that would increase Noblesse's worry load, so pausing just in time, he says "When someone steals Lu's cookies and ice cream. Following that there is always a feeling as if someone poured ice on me."

Noblesse chuckles softly, without a moments hesitation produces a red orb. "This, is undoubtedly 'anger'." This orb was wild, unlike the carefree movements of 'happiness', unlike the roundabout swirls of 'sorrow' , this was a predator pouncing on its prey. The red strings dart here and there in a uncontrolled frenzy eager to escape control. "And this is 'fear'." A shimmering white orb appears almost reluctantly, shivering and shaking trying to behind her hand. After no small amount of taming and coaxing these too join the others floating in mid-air, and the queen looks back at him for the next.

Demonio remains silent for a moment or two, "Then, there is..." he tries to find the right words "There is, something not as severe as 'sorrow', just like someone is squeezing your heart once in a while."

"A dull ache?"

"Yes. As if there was nothing you could do about anything."

Noblesse ponders for a while, making up her mind to materialise another orb this time "This is 'despair'" Blue and black ribbon criss-cross over in a duet, strengthening each other from the intensity of the negative emotion.

"So the souls let you feel these things?" She questions slowly.

"Yes, they move around me even if the Garden of Haures is not near, and I think they allow me to feel what others are feeling. I think, they are my second pair of sensors."

The final words makes an outbreak through Noblesse's mind. All along, she had not realised. She almost laughs at her ignorance, because all along Demonio _could_ feel just couldn't _name_ them. He could feel more emotion than she did, she having to steel her heart and mind for the title of Overlord. Her quest seemed so much easier now she was ready to spur to greater heights. His lack of emotion himself had in fact made him more sensitive to the feelings of others, so if she could explain each time she would turn Demonio back into _Ciel_. It was not like Demonio was not a desired being, no way in Elrios was that true, but she knew she needed to achieve a balance between the entity of death and his true self.

While Noblesse was twirling in her own mind, said butler had been eyeing those orbs in fascination, but a new question overcomes him as he remembers the true reason in coming here in the first place. His mistress had asked him whether he could feel anything from that portal.

Demonio looks up, "Lu."

"Hmm?" She smiles, a silent invitation to continue.

"Is it possible to feel multiple emotions at once?"

Noblesse watches with slight furrowed brows as Demonio drags the orb of 'anger' , 'sorrow' 'fear' and 'despair' together before merging them into a maelstrom of frustruation and desperate cries. She realises 'pain' was also formed to play with all these emotions.

"Why yes, but that would make a very negative feeling person. Who is feeling these?"

Demonio's answer sent Noblesse's heart screeching to a halt.

"The person on the other end of that portal."

* * *

 **To be continued...**

 **Did anyone realise that all the chapters before, Noblesse had never named Demonio as Ciel, and never has Demonio named Noblesse as Lu?  
Hehehe, I know my readers with eagle eyes would definitely have noticed such details.  
**

 **Yes I know, Noblesse and Demonio have been playing the major role in the recent chapters leaving our other duos rather forgotten  
But do not fear they shall play their part very soon  
In fact, expect a special scene of two we haven't seen together yet play out in the next memory  
Maybe Noblesse and Demonio will leave each other for a small while too  
**

 **I hereby express my deepest apology for not mentioning a few of the people that has joined my journey, so I shall give my gratitude now to  
Ana Paula, Suzuran, and Ducky and Izzy  
Please forgive me for forgetting, and I beg anyone else I have missed to tell me so I can thank you once more.**

 **I also welcome jatoaaa and Memaiva to join us here, thank you so much for coming abroad**

 **Last but not least, leave me a review and tell me what you think, not only does it spur my speed and imagination, it gives Lu and Ciel a lot more to say to increase memory length OwO/**

 **Also, Merry Christmas my dear guests, may you stay warm and safe~**

 **I will show you a sweet dream the next night~**

 ** _Sendo Erika 25.12.2017_**


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